Basham backs Us to bounce back.

Former Oxford striker Steve Basham is backing the U's to finish strongly, despite the midweek defeat at Stevenage which may have ended their title hopes.After Tuesday night's 1-0 loss, Basham insists that Oxford have the characters within the squad to bounce back.

"Seven games left," the Hayes & Yeading loan man told BBC Oxford, ahead of his latest reunion. "They can still pick themselves up and have a good run.

Faltering Oxford have now won just once in seven Blue Square Premier games.

And they have slipped to third in the table, eight points adrift of leaders Stevenage.

But Basham insists: "They have the quality. It's just having the confidence back to get a run together."

Basham, 32, who is still on Luton Town's books, has been out on loan at Hayes & Yeading since late November.

And, due to a prior agreement with his parent club, he was missing from the Hayes line-up when they astonishingly went down 8-0 at Kenilworth Road to Oxford's promotion rivals last Saturday.

But he is due to return on Good Friday against Oxford when Hayes will be bidding to bounce back from the Blue Square Premier's joint worst defeat of the season.

Oxford have the quality. It's just having the confidence back to get a run together

Former U's striker Steve Basham

And he will be in confident mood after the two goals he scored to help beat Oxford 2-1 in the reverse fixture at the Kassam Stadium just over three weeks ago.

But, despite the big part he played in speeding up the U's second half of the season slide, his lack of goal celebration that day earned him a warm reception from the home fans when he left the pitch - and he was grateful for that.

"There is no point doing that," said Basham, who hit 49 goals 187 games in his five seasons at Oxford between 2002 and 2007. "I had five great years at Oxford, I live in Oxfordshire, and it was fantastic to get that reception.

"I didn't know what to expect but I was over the moon with that."

Source: BBC Sport