OXFORD City believe they are still two years away from clearing their debt – but another dream Emirates FA Cup run would greatly speed up the process.

Mark Jones’s side travel to Vanarama National League South counterparts Hemel Hempstead Town on Saturday, bidding to reach the first round proper for a second successive year.

Getting into the draw alongside Football League clubs was the target set by City directors Justin Merritt and Paul Lyon at the start of the season as the club continue to reduce arrears, which stood at £1.5million in 2016.

With half that amount still to clear, another Cup run would provide a huge boost with prize money doubled this campaign.

Excluding television bonuses and gate receipts, City earned £42,500 in reaching the second round last season.

But victory in this weekend’s fourth qualifying round tie would see the club’s earnings for 2018/19 already total £49,000.

And replicating their efforts of 12 months earlier would see them collect £85,000.

Lyon is hoping the club can benefit from another unbudgeted windfall.

He said: “Half the debt has gone, but we’ve still got a long way to go.

“If we can get to the first or second round then we would be in a much better position, but we can’t rely on that.

“We’re confident we can see a way forward and we’re hoping in two years’ time we would have nearly cleared the debt.”

City’s financial woes came to light in 2016, when former director Thomas Guerriero was jailed for 12 years for a $6.6m investment fraud in America, while managing director Colin Taylor died later that year.

The club had cut their debt to £900,000 last November and are exploring ways of attracting outside investment after hiring a full-time commercial manager.

City have also reached an agreement with former Oxford United chairman Darryl Eales and his company Ensco to end their partnership which helped finance the new artificial pitch and bar refurbishment at Court Place Farm in 2017.

The club will now benefit from full ownership of the site and have set-up a six-year repayment plan to the businessman for the 3G pitch.

Last season’s top-scorer Matt Paterson was sold for an undisclosed fee last week as Jones bids to manage his playing budget.

Lyon added: “We’re trying to make it into a much more professional organisation and that takes time.

“In the first year we were firefighting and we couldn’t plan for the future because we didn’t know if we would have a future.”

Earlier this week, a groundshare with Uhlsport Hellenic League side Long Crendon was announced.

With the club’s reserve team Oxford City Nomads folding, they were more than happy with the extra income, starting this Saturday.

Lyon said: “Long Crendon are putting the money together to afford to pay the match fees.

“From our point of view, the pitch is available when we’re not at home to play on so why not let them use it.”