Central defenders Mark Creighton and Luke Foster have been warned to expect a torrid time when Oxford United travel to York today.

The Blue Square Premier table-toppers head north to take on a team who are unbeaten at home since April.

And York boss Martin Foyle, the former Oxford hit man, feels that his strikers, Michael Rankine and Richard Brodie, can bully Creighton and Foster into submission.

Rankine (6ft 3in) and Brodie (6ft 2in) caused Creighton (6ft 4in) and Foster (6ft 2in) problems on the opening day of the season, and Foyle feels that if his forwards can win the battle of the giants, then his side have a chance of inflicting a second league defeat on the leaders.

He said: “Oxford have two no-nonsense defenders in Luke Foster and Mark Creighton, who don’t bring the ball down and start thinking they are players.

“They do the same job week in, week out – head the ball, volley it, clear it and compete.

“But Ranks gave Creighton a good beating up for an hour down at their place. If we can get the ball to our strikers again, we know we’ll cause Oxford problems.”

Goalkeeper Ryan Clarke says it is crucial United keep things tight early on, and look to wear their opponents down.

“That’s the way it’s been with a few games away from home,” he said.

“The thing is not to give the opposition a chance and then we know our fitness will get us through the game.

“If we can keep it tight for the first 60-70 minutes, we always fancy ourselves to score in the last part of the game, even if we haven’t been lucky enough to do that beforehand.”

He added: “York deserve to be up there because they were probably the best team we played at the start of the season.”

York have lost just once in 11 and are seventh, with a game in hand on Oxford.

Andy Ferrell returns after suspension for York, who will probably have ex-U’s winger Craig Nelthorpe on the bench.

James Meredith could be the one to drop out of the starting line-up, with centre half Danny Parslow switching to left back.

The U’s, who are likely to be unchanged, have the boost of James Constable being fit after he came off in the first half of their 5-0 win over Grays, having already scored twice.

Sam Deering could win a place on the bench following his return from a loan spell at Newport County.

York City: (from) Ingham, Sangare, McGurk, Parslow, Purkiss, Mackin, Lawless, Barrett, Ferrell, Brodie, Rankine, Pacquette, Smith, Nelthorpe, Meredith, Mimms, McWilliams.

Oxford Utd: (from) Clarke, Chapman, Creighton, Foster, Kinniburgh, Bulman, Murray, Clist, Green, Constable, Cook, Midson, Batt, Sandwith, Day, Deering, Perry.