THE GAFFER

Ross Jenkins

After two really positive games on the road it’s good to be preparing for two home matches this week where we can look to carry that momentum forward and get ourselves closer to where we need to be in the league table.

 The win away at Worksop on Saturday was the result of hard work and a genuine belief in each other among this group of players. We played well and got three points but I actually think we have played better in a number of away games this season and come away with nothing. This time we took our chances, defended well when we needed to and I hope the fans who travelled to support us enjoyed the trip home as much as we did after a job well done.

 The previous weekend we picked up a decent point at Leamington. Credit to their staff for getting the game on after so many others were postponed due to the rain, but I think the pitch definitely played a part in what became a real slog of a game. In this division you have to prepare for anything, that’s part of the appeal, so at times you just have to roll your sleeves up and battle. A clean sheet and a point away from home is OK, and then winning the next game probably made that point seem more valuable.

 We are making progress all the time but it’s still incredibly close at the bottom of the table. It’s far too early to be looking at results elsewhere, we just need to stick together, stay positive and focus on our own results.  Marine will tell you the same about the chase for the play-off places and will be just as keen as us to get a win today.

 That should make for a great game for you to watch. Get behind us, make some noise, and let’s make sure that we are the ones smiling at full time this afternoon.

 ROSS

City Beat United in County Cup

City in Safe Hands

An incredible ending  saw Oxford City upset the odds to beat Oxford United 3-2 at the  MGroup Stadium in the quarter-final of the Oxfordshire Senior Cup

After Josh Parker had given the Hoops an early lead goals from Gatlin O'Donkor and Jack Lee put United ahead in time added on. Amazingly, City kept going and goals from Brayden Daniel and Jack Bearne somehow sent them through

 City used the game to ease players such as Bearne, Tom Scott and Evan Humphries back to full fitness while promising players like Daniel, Byron Wilson and Josh McConnell were given game time after featuring on the bench in recent first team games. The other youngster to truly step up was Man of the Match Caleb Moir who gave an assured performance at centre-half despite coming up against the far more experienced O’Donkor on his comeback from injury.

 It turned into a memorable match with two energetic sides playing neat passing football throughout

 O’Donkor’s strike partner Lee had the first chance of the night but found Jonny Maxted equal to it when he let fly from 20 yards in the 12^th minute but it was former United striker Parker who reminded  the youngsters how to do it after 15 minutes when he picked up a Bearne cross, turned sharply and buried a low shot past the helpless Monty Marriott in the United goal.

 However at the other end former City loanee O’Donkor's pace and power looked ominous and on 26 minutes he got the U’s back on equal terms when he raced clear and powered the ball past Maxted with a thunderous blast into the roof of the net.

 City might have regained a half-time lead when the impressive McConnell sent a well-struck effort just wide in time added on but six minutes after the break Lee put United ahead from the spot after tricky winger Kasway Burton was upended by Humphries just inside the box..

O'Donkor's (scheduled) withdrawal at the break certainly took away much of the  threat from the away side and most of the second half was played in the United half. Sub George Burroughs flicked a header just over from a corner then repeated that after a Parker header across the face of goal  The only question was whether City could find the goal that would take the game to penalties. They went one better.

First  Daniel, a winner last season with Thame, burst through a challenge  and powered down the right and slotted past Marriott to  make it 2-2 after 96 minutes

A minute later and there was true drama as Bearne somehow had the energy to sprint away on the opposite flank and fire across Marriott to send City into the semi-finals.

Amazing.

With City ending the game with six home grown players up against eleven in yellow this was a fine advert for Oxford football, played in the right spirit; competitive but never dirty. Just what the competition is all about as Eddie Odhiambo, Head of Football, Community and Culture at the club, told us

 “It was a really encouraging night. Caleb Moir was chosen as Player of the Match, Brayden Daniel scored the second goal and Josh McConnell, Charlie Bacon, Kauan and Endri Stathi were all out there on the pitch at the end.

 “It was good for Oxford football to see them playing against a United team which has all come through their Academy and I think we can be really proud of our performance and the result.

 “With the Under 19s in good form in the league after a great FA Youth Cup run where they ended up taking on QPR at Loftus Road we have seen real progress with players stepping up from the Velocity programme, and that is running parallel to the Women’s team where over half the team last Sunday are on a similar pathway.

 “Most of those players have had loan spells locally so they are learning all the time and I think it was a great advertisement for the competition as well.”

CITY

Maxted, Wilson, Moir, Bearne, McFarlane (Kauan 46), Wiggett (Burroughs 46), Parker (Stathi 67), Scott (Bacon 84), Humphries (Roddy 67), Daniel, McConnell