Bristol Rovers boss Mark McGhee made three changes to the Pirates' starting line-up for the clash with Oxford United at the Memorial Stadium.

On-loan midfielders Andy Dorman and Matthew Lund were both handed places in the team, at the expense of Craig Stanley and Eliot Richards, who both started on the bench.

Leading scorer Matt Harrold, who suffered a hamstring injury during last Tuesday's 1-0 defeat at Shrewsbury, was ruled out – so Chris Zebroski returned to the side after completing a two-match ban.

The game had survived a 1.30pm pitch inspection after heavy rain, but there were small patches of water on some areas of a playing surface which was bound to cut up as the game progressed.

Bristol Rovers: Poke, Woodards, Bolger, Parkes, Paterson, Lund, Gill, Dorman, L Brown, Anyinsah, Zebroski. Subs: Bevan, Stanley, McGleish, Carayol, Richards.

Oxford United: Clarke, Whing, Duberry, Wright, Davis, Batt, Leven, Wilson, Rendell, Constable, Kerrouche.  Subs: Tonkin, Hall, Johnson, Worley, Holmes.