Wilder is focused on ending play-off heartache

One man with strong links to Yorkshire football is hoping to deny York City a return to the Football League on Sunday afternoon at Wembley. Richard Sutcliffe reports.

CHRIS WILDER does not have the happiest of memories when it comes to play-off finals.

As a player, he suffered the disappointment of being denied promotion with Notts County by Bradford City.

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As a manager, he was at the helm of Halifax Town when they missed out on a return to the Football League when Hereford United triumphed after extra-time.

And as a supporter, he was at Wembley last season when his beloved Sheffield United were pipped to a place in the Premier League by Burnley.

All were miserable experiences in their own right, but ask the Oxford United manager if the trio of disappointments will give him any extra motivation ahead of this weekend's Blue Square Premier promotion decider against York City and his answer is unequivocal.

"No, not at all," says the 42-year-old Sheffield-born former full-back who can include Bradford, Rotherham and the Blades on his playing CV. "The prize of getting Oxford in the Football League is big enough in its own right.

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"Beating York is the only motivation anyone at the club needs ahead of Sunday. The past, either mine or the club's, is irrelevant."

The possibility of Oxford needing a second chance to clinch promotion back to the Football League after a four-year absence seemed remote even as recently as Christmas when the U's were five points clear of Stevenage at the top with York sitting a further four points adrift in third place.

A dip in form in the New Year, however, followed by a disappointing March eventually saw the impetus swing the way of Stevenage, who went on to claim the title courtesy of an amazing 43 point haul from the final 15 games.

Wilder added: "If Chester had not gone under, we would have finished with 92 points from 46 games. We also rested seven or eight players for the last game of the season so it is feasible if we had not done that then we would have got 95 points.

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"And in seven or eight of the last 10 seasons, that would have been enough. We had a bad March but I think we have got that out of our systems and have been excellent recently."

Stevenage's storming end to the season means this Sunday will see Wilder take charge of a

club in the Conference final for the second time in five seasons, the Oxford manager having performed a footballing miracle to lead Halifax Town to the 2006 promotion decider amid the financial chaos that would eventually see the club wound up two years later.

Wilder's work during five very challenging years at The Shay played a huge part in the Oxford board turning to the then Bury assistant in December, 2008.

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Ask the U's manager, however, if the experience of the 2006 final will be of any use on Sunday and the reply again is unambiguous.

"No, because the two finals are unbelievably different," says Wilder when talking about the Shaymen's 3-2 defeat to Hereford after extra-time at Leicester City's Walkers Stadium.

"At Halifax, it was a miracle we got there in the first place because of what was happening behind the scenes. It meant there was no expectation.

"It is different at Oxford because we are expected to be successful. We should take more than 30,000 fans to Wembley."

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Asked if such a huge army of supporters will bring added pressure on Sunday, Wilder replied: "I have seen Martin (Foyle, York manager) try to turn that on to us, saying it will mean we crack under the pressure.

"But I don't agree. I played for Notts County against Bradford City in the 1996 (Division Two) play-off final when Bradford had 45,000 at Wembley.

"They used the energy of those fans to turn us over (2-0). That is what a big crowd can do for you.

"We have performed well in the big games this season, such as Yeovil in the FA Cup (when Oxford won 1-0) plus the league games against Luton, Stevenage and York.

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"I think that shows we have players who can handle the big occasion. There are also people like Jim Smith at the club who has seen most things in his career and that helps.

"All the talk in the world will mean nothing come Sunday when two teams, who are very similar and have similar budgets, will meet.

"The two games we had with York were very close and the final may well be the same.

"It will be all about who turns up on the day, I saw that for myself last season when Sheffield United reached the (Championship) play-off final.

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"I went to Wembley with a few mates and we were all gutted to miss out. Like us and York, the two teams at Wembley last year were well matched but, unfortunately, it just didn't happen for Sheffield United. My job is to make sure that doesn't happen to Oxford."