KARL Robinson says Oxford United will be in for a battle this weekend when they take on Sky Bet League One’s bottom side Forest Green Rovers.

In April, the Gloucestershire side were promoted to the third tier for the first time in their 133-year history, in what was only their fifth season as a Football League club.

Adjusting to League One has proven difficult so far though, not helped by the departure of head coach Rob Edwards, who took over at Championship side Watford in May.

Edwards though lasted just 10 league games at the Hertfordshire outfit before getting sacked.

Forest Green meanwhile have endured a frustrating start to the 2022/23 campaign, and are winless in their last six league matches.

Robinson though praised Ian Burchnall’s side, especially when placed in the context of their rise through the divisions in recent years.

“Forest Green have done incredible, where they’ve been many years ago to where they stand today,” said Robinson.

“They’re a team that probably won’t come here with a great deal of pressure anyway, so from our point of view, we’ve got to perform.

“What they certainly have got is an incredible amount of energy, and in the last four games, they’ve had the most possession.

“We’ve got to make sure we stand up to that.

“Playing at home again, it’ll be nice to get back-to-back wins, we haven’t done that.

“That’s one of the things that’ll be important to us.”

United’s 2-1 win at Woking, in the first round of the Emirates FA Cup, stretched the club’s unbeaten run to six games in all competitions.

Robinson highlighted the importance of keeping that momentum going tomorrow afternoon.

He said: “It breeds confidence, that’s important because of where we’ve been.

“If we can get some positive results on the board in the next month, you’ll see a different perception of what we are.

“We haven’t changed throughout the course of any of this.

“In a few weeks’ time, if we can manage to win the next two games, you can be sat here in the top 10 and the third round of the FA Cup, and then you just don’t know where the second half of the season is going to take you.”

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Before the improved run of form, the U’s won just one game from eight in all competitions, and Robinson praised the staff and players for digging themselves out of a sticky situation.

He said: “The one thing about me is that I do generally stay consistent within my personality.

“I think sometimes I can get overexcited off the back of even a bad result.

“We’re just trying to make sure we keep working hard, our work ethic in the last month has been some of the best I’ve ever seen.

“I didn’t think we could work any harder, but the staff have found something from somewhere, and the players have as well.”