Match Preview | Oxford City v Scunthorpe United
City host Scunthorpe as they look for three points.
Oxford City host Scunthorpe United at The Group Stadium as they look to return to winning ways in the Vanarama National League North on Saturday (3pm KO).
City return to action at home as promotion hopefuls and title contenders, Scunthorpe United travel to The MGroup Stadium.
Ross Jenkins' side will be hoping to emulate the dramatic scenes of earlier in the season when a dogged City performance and a last-gasp Aaron Drewe header earned City a well-deserved point.
Scunthorpe currently sit second in the league, just one point behind Chester, City's. opponents after this fixture but with a game in hand, while City have slipped to within two points of the relegation zone.
Canice Carroll is once again available for selection for City's upcoming matches after his red card in Tuesday's match at King's Lynn was overturned.
FIXTURE DETAILS
Oxford City v Scunthorpe United
The MGroup Stadium – Saturday 22nd February – 3:00pm
Vanarama National League North
Referee: Lewis Smith Assistant Referees: Steven Rea & Jamie Stevenson | Fourth Official: Daniel Ellis
FORM
OXFORD CITY - W L L L L
The Hoops are coming off the back of another tough loss to King's Lynn. It makes it four losses in a row for City now.
They have now lost five of their last eight league games and the victories over Marine and Forest Green feel like a distant memory for Hoops fans now.
As for Oxford City's current form, the form statistics. indication average number of goals scored per game of 0.63 in the last eight league games, which is 50.8% lower than the current season's average.
SCUNTHORPE UNITED - W W W D W
Scunthorpe have lost once since 10th November. It came against Rushall Olympic away from home, seven games ago.
While their form away from home is slightly worse than their imperious home form, they still manage to collect an average of 1.80 points per game.
Over their last eight games, they have won 2.13 points per game and have scored an average of 2.00 goals per game.
The last time Scunthorpe failed to score, they were hosting Hereford in late December.
ONE TO WATCH - Callum Roberts
The league's joint top-scorer, Roberts is tied with Paul Blackett of South Shields on 16 each, which is two more than his fellow teammate, Danny Whitehall.
At the age of 8, Roberts joined Newcastle and made his debut for his hometown club in an FA Cup game against Leicester City in 2015. He signed his first professional deal at the end of the season.
Four years later, after loan spells at Gateshead, Kilmarnock and Colchester, he would score his first goal for the club as Newcastle beat Blackburn Rovers 4-2 in the FA Cup.
Roberts eventually signed for Scunthorpe in the summer of 2023, shortly after they were relegated from the National League.
THE MANAGER - Andy Butler
Butler is enjoying his first season in charge of Scunthorpe, having been promoted from first team head coach to first team manager this summer after the departure of Jimmy Dean.
He began his playing career at Scunthorpe back in 2002, spending six years at the club before a transfer to Huddersfield. He returned for a season in 2019 toward the end of his career. He played a total of 174 games for the Iron.
The 40-year-old has got Scunthorpe playing good football, only two sides have scored more goals and no side in the league has conceded less.
LAST TIME OUT
Last time out, there was a dramatic 2-2 draw at Glanford Park as Oxford City's latest signing, Aaron Drewe snuck in a last minute header.
Watch the highlights below.
HOW TO FOLLOW
FOLLOW THE ACTION:
As per usual, we will be following the game via our Social Channels, including our new WhatsApp Channel where you can read minute-by-minute action as the LIVE event occurs! You can sign up for free HERE.
There's also LIVE commentary on BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website via BBC Radio Oxford.
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