OXFORD City know the odds of pulling off another fairytale run are stacked against them, but they are doing all they can to be ready for Tranmere Rovers.

The Vanarama National League South side have already hit their own target in reaching the first round of the Emirates FA Cup and are eyeing a Football League scalp at Prenton Park tomorrow.

Sixty-one places may separate the sides, but City stunned another Sky Bet League Two outfit at this stage last season.

And the club are making sure the players will be ready for the tie by travelling up to Merseyside this morning, before using Liverpool Academy’s first-class facilities at Kirkby.

Boss Mark Jones hopes avoiding the three-hour drive to Tranmere on the day of the game will give his side every chance of reaching the second round.

He said: “The boys are looking forward to it and we’re trying to prepare as professionally as we can.

“We’re going up on Friday and we’ve sorted a training session at Liverpool Academy – one of (director of football) Justin Merritt’s contacts has come up trumps.

“We will then stay over, be together, and prepare as best we can and hope we perform on the day.”

City knocked out League Two club Colchester United at this stage last season, before falling to a late goal in a 3-2 defeat at Notts County in the second round.

Only a handful of players remain from that team, but Jones is keen to use last season’s exploits as proof another scalp is possible.

He said: “We’re certainly the underdogs there’s no question about that, but we’ve got to believe we can do it.

“What we have to respect is they’re going to be fitter and stronger than us because they’re full-time.

“But in terms of ability, there is not the massive difference that people feel there is. I think we proved that last year.

“We’ve got to draw off that and we don’t want to go up there to have a nice day out in Tranmere and accept defeat.

“We always try to target the first round, but we don’t want it to stop and we want to keep going.”

With prize money doubled this season, City have racked up £49,000 in progressing from the second

qualifying round, while tomorrow’s winners will collect a further £36,000.

Jones knows it is an unbudgeted boost to the club, whose debt has been well-documented, and is under no illusions of how important another Cup win would be.

He said: “We are very much aware of it, of course we are.

“We understand it’s a massive help to the club, we don’t budget to try to get these games.

“But it takes a bit of pressure off financially and allows us to breathe a bit more easily.”