A420 derby could be pivotal for Swindon Town and Oxford United

Lying more than 30 miles apart and having played each other only 61 times in the entire history of the two clubs, you could be forgiven for overlooking the rivalry between Swindon Town and Oxford United.

The fixture has never taken place in the top-flight of English football but it is a standout encounter for supporters of both clubs and it has provided plenty of memorable moments down the years.

A controversial third division clash in May 1982 saw a smoke bomb thrown onto the County Ground pitch, allowing Swindon to score a late winner before the referee was hit by a coin in a game that finished 3-2.

The rivalry took on another level of animosity when Paolo Di Canio became the Robins’ manager in 2011.

In one of the Italian’s first games in charge, Chris Wilder’s Oxford secured a 2-1 win after a brace from talisman James Constable in the first meeting of the sides for almost 10 years.

Constable made over 250 appearances for the Yellows in a five-year spell at the club but the pre-match talk had focused on Di Canio’s claim that he had been a Swindon fan as a boy amid rumours he was looking to sign him.

Constable was sent off after ten minutes of the reverse fixture at The Kassam Stadium, but Oxford still managed to come out 2-0 winners and bring to an end Swindon’s 10-game winning run on their way to the League Two title.

Tuesday night’s meeting will be the first time the sides have met at the Robins’ ground since February 2017 when second-half goals from Liam Sercombe and Rob Hall saw Oxford claim a 2-1 win.

Swindon have had an underwhelming campaign so far this season following promotion from League Two last season, but their 2-1 win at the Kassam at the end of the November brought to an end a run of eight games without a victory in the derby.

Manager Richie Wellens departed for Salford City just weeks beforehand, and his replacement John Sheridan has overseen a run of just six wins in 24 league games.

Back-to-back home wins have kept the Robins above the relegation zone by the skin of their teeth, so another win against their arch-rivals on Tuesday night would be an ideal way to create some breathing space.

A positive for Sheridan has been the recent form of Brett Pittman. The experienced striker has scored three times in his last four appearances, and his goals could be key to ensuring Swindon are still playing in the third tier next season.

Centre-back Jonathan Grounds was forced off through injury in the weekend defeat at Accrington Stanley and won’t be available against the Yellows along with long-term absentee Anthony Grant.

“They’re an excellent side and Karl is a top manager. He won’t have to tell his players the importance  (of this game) and I won’t have to tell mine.

“We’ll do all we can to prepare them, but once the players go over the white line, it’s about who wants it more.

“A positive result could spark a winning run.”

– Swindon manager John Sheridan

Oxford’s defeat at the hands of their bitter rivals left them in serious relegation danger, but the disappointment of the loss appeared to spark a massive upturn in the fortunes of Karl Robinson’s side.

They won a club record nine games in a row over the winter months and are now comfortably in the top half of the league table despite a dip in form as spring has arrived.

The Yellows are now without a win in league and cup across their last six games, losing momentum in the play-off race and missing the chance of a trip to Wembley in the Papa John’s Trophy.

This dip in form has coincided with a growing injury list. Marcus McGuane saw his season brought to an end by a thigh injury, James Henry has been ruled out until Easter due to a hamstring problem, and Sam Winnall, Elliot Lee and Sam Long have all missed recent games with knocks.

The openness of the League One promotion race means that Oxford are still only five points shy of the play-off places despite being without a league win since Valentine’s Day, so picking up the bragging rights at the County Ground could conceivably reinvigorate a promotion push.

Whatever the outcome on Tuesday, it is likely that the 62nd edition of the A420 derby will have a significant impact on how this League One season finishes at both ends of the table.

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