SWINDON Town supporters are preparing for one of their biggest games of the season when they host rivals Oxford United at the County Ground on Sunday.

Fans are hoping Town will match the 3-1 hammering it inflicted on Oxford, on penalties, in the Checkatrade Trophy in October. To date, some 9,800 Swindon tickets have been sold, while Oxford’s allocation of 2,830 are sold out.

Staff at The Merlin pub, in Drove Road, are expecting to be pulling pints all day. The pub is usually open for both home and away fans but, due to the highly charged atmosphere this weekend, it will be reserved for home fans only.

Eddie Hutchings, assistant manager at The Merlin, said: “We expect it to be a really good day. It’s always a great atmosphere when Swindon play Oxford and we anticipate it being very busy indeed, probably one of the busiest days of the year. It should be a great day. We’re all looking forward to it.”

There will also be an increased police presence in the hope of deterring fans from engaging in anti-social behaviour.

Supt Adrian Burt, the match commander, said: “Wiltshire Police are working closely with our partner agencies, including Swindon and Oxford Football Clubs, to make this a safe and enjoyable experience for all whilst reducing the impact of this event to the local community.”

Steve Mytton, chairman of the Swindon Town Supporters’ Trust, said: “It’s without doubt the biggest game of the season, the result is everything. If we win, it could be a turning point for the season. If we lose, it could mean that we drop into the bottom four and have an even more challenging race for survival. Relegation would be devastating for this club, so we have to win.

“With striker Nicky Ajose coming back in we hope to get back among the goals - only five shots on target in the last three games shows that we have been desperately lacking in that department. I really hope that we can get the win and kick on from there.”

The match kicks off at the County Ground at noon.