Oxford United were handed a great chance to progress into the FA Cup third round after being drawn at home to fellow Sky Bet League Two strugglers Tranmere Rovers.

Michael Appleton’s side, who beat Grimsby Town 3-1 on Saturday, were the very first ball pulled out in the second-round draw made at the National Football Museum in Manchester last night.

Oxford-based former Arsenal defender Martin Keown then drew out Tranmere.

However, U’s chief executive Mark Ashton said nobody would be getting carried away, despite having beaten Rovers 2-0 when the two teams met at the Kassam Stadium three weeks ago.

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Micky Adams was appointed Rovers manager on the eve of that match, but watched from the directors’ box as goals from Tyrone Barnett and Alfie Potter saw United claim three points.

And Ashton says that with Adams having been in the job for more than a month by the time the match takes place over the weekend of December 5-8, the first meeting will have no relevance on the outcome this time.

“The main thing is that I am just so pleased it is a home draw for us,”Ashton said. “Getting a home draw at this stage of the competition gives us a fair chance of progressing, but clearly we will not be getting carried away.

“It will be a tough game, I have no doubt of that.

“I know we beat Tranmere in the league recently, but they will be well and truly under the new manager by then, so it will be a very different team we are playing against.”

It is the first time United have been handed a home tie in any cup competition this season.

Many supporters reacted immediately by saying it was a great opportunity to announce reduced ticket prices to try and attract a decent-sized crowd to the Kassam Stadium.

And Ashton confirmed that the U’s could discuss prices with their opponents today, with Tranmere having to agree to any proposal put to them.

“We will have a conversation at our end in the morning and then speak to Tranmere to see what their views are,” he said.

“There’s a chance we might know where we stand on prices by the end of play on Tuesday.”

Ashton is hoping United can take Saturday’s showing into the upcoming league games, and then the FA Cup match, where the winners stand the chance of meeting one of the Premier League giants in the third round.

That could provide either club with a big windfall, with no extra cup matches budgeted for by United at the start of the season.

“We have just got to do our best, play like we know we can and then hopefully that will be enough,” he said.

“I thought the team were very professional in the way they went about the game at Grimsby on Saturday, and we will need to do the same again against Tranmere.

“Of course at this stage everyone dreams of getting to the third round and then drawing one of the big teams and we are no different.

“But Tranmere will be thinking the same and we know we have a tough match to get through first.”

FA CUP 2ND ROUND DRAW

Oxford Utd v Tranmere Rovers

Bury v Luton Tn

Wrexham v Stevenage or Maidstone

Scunthorpe Utd v Worcester City

Colchester Utd v Peterborough Utd

Wycombe v York or AFC Wimbledon

Notts County or Accrington Stanley v Yeovil Tn

Hartlepool Utd v Blyth Spartans

MK Dons v Chesterfield

Dagenham & Redbridge or Southport v
Eastleigh

Gateshead v Warrington Tn

Oldham Athletic v Weston-super-Mare or Doncaster

Preston v Walsall or Shrewsbury

Barnsley v Chester

Bradford City v Dartford

Crewe Alexandra or Sheffield Utd v Plymouth Argyle

Cheltenham Tn v Dover Athletic

Cambridge Utd v Mansfield Tn or Concord Rangers

Bristol City v Basingstoke or AFC Telford

Portsmouth or Aldershot v Northampton Tn or Rochdale

Ties to be played on Dec 5-8.

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