CAMERON Brannagan is hoping Oxford United’s players can rise to the occasion this afternoon and deliver three points to mark the club’s 125th anniversary.

The biggest home league crowd of the season is expected at the Kassam Stadium, where the spectators for the meeting with Shrewsbury Town will include legends from great U’s teams of the past.

Brannagan’s father, Mark, is getting involved in the Yellow Army walk to the ground from the club’s birthplace at the Britannia Inn, so he is well aware of today’s significance.

And the midfielder knows the value of three points – both to aid the side’s bid to climb out of trouble in Sky Bet League One and to really get the celebrations going.

He said: “There will be a lot of people there, so we just want to put a performance on, play really well and win the game.

“No matter what, we need to win.

“We’re aware of everything that’s going on, but as a player the most important thing is we need to get the win for us and the fans and for the table.

“We need to be climbing up to where we should be, which is around the top.

“We’ll be fully focused and as soon as the whistle goes we’ll be ready, no matter what.”

Karl Robinson’s side are on a four-game unbeaten run, winning their last home game against Plymouth Argyle and claiming decent away points at Southend United, Bristol Rovers and most recently at Charlton Athletic on Tuesday.

It is the same points return as two wins and two defeats, but Brannagan believes the sequence – where the side have not conceded from open play – is laying a solid platform upon which they can build.

He said: “I think everyone is confident and we just need to keep playing and the draws turn into wins.

“We all know we didn’t start great. There’s nothing we can do about that now. We’ve had the steps of drawing and a win. We can only kick on now.

“We played well on Tuesday night and we need to take that into Saturday straight away.

“I feel like if we play well and move the ball around we can kill anyone. I can’t wait.”

Shrewsbury claimed a morale-boosting 3-1 win over Barnsley in midweek, but are likely to be without key wide man Shaun Whalley (calf).

TODAY’S LINE-UPS

Oxford Utd: from Eastwood, McMahon, Nelson, Dickie, Ruffels, Mousinho, Brannagan, Henry, Holmes, Browne, Mackie, Smith, Whyte, Carruthers, Hanson, Long, Raglan, Mitchell.

Shrewsbury Tn: from Coleman, Bolton, Waterfall, Beckles, Grant, Emmanuel, Docherty, Norburn, Haynes, Angol, Okenabirhie, Holloway, John-Lewis, Barnett, Laurent, Gilliead, Sadler, Arnold.