27 Mar 2000 - City v Maidenhead
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| Spritely
City put an end to Barton Bogey Oxford City 2, Barton Rovers 0. |
| OXFORD City made it fourth
time lucky in Ryman Division 1 on Saturday after
failing to overcome Barton on three previous
occasions. After an-even first period, City dominated the second half and were good value for the points. City applied the early pressure and a strong run by Dwaine Strong came to nothing when his low cross flashed across goal. he home side went closer when Danny Wise was only denied by visiting keeper Gillham's legs, and then a low drive by Strong tested Gillham. |
But City had keeper Alan Foster to
thank for an outstanding save just before the
interval when he was at full stretch to fingertip
a volley from MeNally on to the top of the
crossbar. After the break, City were quick to stamp their authority on thegame. Strong beat Gillham to a through ball but saw his lob drift wide. And in City's next raid in the 49th minute, Strong set up Tate Hulbert, who cut back inside a defender to finish perfectly into the far corner. Thomas was fortunate to escape with only a booking when Strong was scythed down after beating two defenders, and then Shaun Wimble shot over with Hulbert and Strong in better positions. |
But City were not to be denied and
they increased their lead with a splendid strike
in the 73rd minute. Matty Whitehead found Garry
Smart in support and from 25 yards, the former
Oxford United full back hit a powerful first-time
shot into the top corner. Wimble and Terry Sweeney sent good
efforts just wide, before Foster turned over
Rovers' only decent shot of the half from
Johnson. |
| City fall
in late flurry Bromley 2, Oxford City 1 |
| ALL three goals came in the
last six minutes as Bromley secured maximum
points in last night's Ryman League Division 1
clash against Oxford City. With an entertaining game apparently heading for a goalless draw, disaster struck City six minutes from time. |
Keeper Foster, who had earlier
brought, off some fine saves, missed his punch
and Woolfs shot bobbled into the goal over a
prostrate teammate on the line. As City pushed everyone
forward a quick break saw Odeghami notch a
well-worked Bromley second. |
A 30-yard pile-driver from Richard
Peirson, which sailed high past Bromley keeper,
Harwood, was no consolation for City who deserved
some reward from the game after dominating the
first half. Oxford City: Foster, Whitehead, Dark, Peirson,Thorp, Smith (Rose 65), Smart, Sweeney, McCleary (Hulbert 86), Strong (Wise 86), Wimble. |
| City
upset the form book Maidenhead 0, Oxford City 1 |
Oxford City: Foster, Smart, Dark, Peirson, Thorp, Smith, Lee, Whitehead, McCleary, Strong (Wise 45), Wimble. |
| Patient
City beaten in late, late show. Oxford City 0, Harlow Tn 2 |
| AFTER being kept waiting for
more than an hour after Harlow had been caught up
in a traffic jam, City could not prevent the
visitors from extending their unbeaten Ryman
Divison 1 run to six matches last night. Although City had their fair share of possession, their goal chances were few and far between. With the game
starting just before 9pm, Harlow went close in a
goalless first half, when City keeper Alan Foster
did well to save low down at the near post after
a mistake from Michael Thorp. |
City nearly took the lead in the
48th minute when Shaun Wimble beat three
defenders only to shoot just wide. But Harlow, under new manager ex-Arsenal striker Ian Allinson, opened their account in the 55th minute when, from a corner, Drew's flick found Salmon whose header gave Foster no chance. City's best chance
of the game went begging on the hour when Richard
Peirson nodded a free kick back across goal only
for Danny Wise to head wide from point-blank
range. |
The miss proved costly when, after
Justin Lee had just stung Trigg's hands with a
powerful shot from 20 yards, Harlow increased
their lead in the 64th minuteas Drew turned and
finished strongly. Two City efforts were charged down in front of goal and, with 20 minutes left, an in-swinging corner from Wimble struck the angle of bar and post. But with City pushing everyone forward, it was the visitors who looked could have notched a third before the final whistle. Oxford
City: Foster, Whitehead (Smart 72),
Dark, Peirson, Thorp, Smith, Lee (Rose 72), Wise,
McCleary, Strong (Sweeney 55), Wimble. |
| Controversy
as City are denied Worthing 1, Oxford City 1 |
| Although a draw was probably a fair
result, it took a controversial equaliser to deny
Oxford City a Ryman Division 1 victory at
promotion-chasering Worthing on Saturday. City got off to a flier, with Dwaine Strong seeing a header brilliantly tipped over by home keeper Bray in the first minute. Strong then sped past three defenders but had to leave the field after a heavy tackle, and when Danny Wise was upended in the fifth minute, City were temporarily down to nine men. |
But they made Worthing pay from the
resultant free kick as Shaun Wimble sent a
perfect ball to the far post and Richard Peirson
rose to power a header past Bray. Keeper Alan Foster saved well to deny Rice and Carrington, while at the other end, Wise and Wimble went close before the break. The big controversy came in
the 59th minute. Foster collected the ball, but
Funnell knocked it out of his grasp with a hand
and tapped the ball home. To everyone's
atonishment, the referee allowed the goal to
stand. |
Bray saved at full stretch from
Matty Whitehead, but City's forwards were still
coming in for some heavy treatment from the home
defence and Stewart McCleary was the next victim
when suffering a mouth injury. With Worthing pressing
forward for the winner, City had a great chance
in injury time, but Terry Sweeney missed his
header in front of goal. |
| City turn
it on to dent Staines bid Oxford City 1, Staines Tn 0 |
| A MUCH-improved City were
good value for maximum Ryman. League Division 1
points when a first-half goal by Stewart McCleary
was enough to overcome promotion contenders
Staines. But for excellent goalkeeping by Lovett, City's dominance of the first 45 minutes would have seen the game sewn up by half-time. Lovett made the
first of three outstanding saves of the half when
he somehow got to a close-range Dwaine Strong
shot after MeCleary had headed on a corner. |
City went ahead in the 19th minute
when a misplaced header from Butler sailed back
over his own defence to McCleary, who coolly
lobbed over the keeper. Straight from the restart, Alan Foster saved well to deny O'Shea, but at the other end, Lovett repeated his early save to foil Strong again. The keeper was
again at full stretch to keep out a splendid
30-yard free kick from Shaun Wimble, but City
thought they had increased their lead when
MeCleary's header from a Wimble corner found the
net, only to be ruled out for a foul on the
keeper. |
MeCleary then wanted too much time
when set up by Danny Wise and with the last
action of the half, the visitors just scrambled a
cross from Strong. Wise slipped two defenders but shot straight at Lovett, and on the hour, he blasted over after good work by McCleary. A free kick from
Underwood curled just past City's far post, but
the home defence gave nothing away and eight
minutes of added time brought no further scares. |
| Bottom
Club too good for sad City Chertsey Town 2, Oxford City 0 |
| IN what must easily rank as
their worst performance of the season, an inept
Oxford City slumped to defeat against the Ryman
League Division 1's bottom club on Saturday. The visitors showed more urgency as City struggled to create more than a couple of half chances against a side with the worse defensive record in the league. After Shaun Wimble had been left limping after a late challenge from Bayliss, Alan Foster just kept out a low drive from Line. |
As Chertsey dominated, City survived
a succession of corner kicks before Dwaine Strong
broke away and crossed to Wimble who sent a
powerful first time drive over. In the 25th minute, City's only clear-cut chance of the game was wasted when an unmarked Stewart McCleary headed wide from Wimble's corner. City continued to struggle in the second half and they could not complain when Chertsey took the lead in the69th minute. |
Terry Sweeney gifted Ash the ball in
midfield, and Cannonville, who looked offside,
collected his through ball and ran on to round
Foster and score easily. A miserable afternoon for City was
completed in injury time when Stewart sent a
looping header from a deep corner past the
helpless keeper. |