Match Preview | Oxford City v Southport
Hoops look to bounce back against rejuvenated Borough.
Oxford City return to Court Place Farm on Saturday to take on Southport following an emphatic win over Radcliffe in the Vanarama National League North.
Having strung together dominant performances over the last few weeks picking up maximum points away from home against Radcliffe and Warrington, Ross Jenkins and his players will be hoping to keep their form going.
Southport sit in the playoff positions having played an extra game or two over the sides below but are beginning to prove their worth with four wins in five after they began the season below expectations.
City will look to keep their goalscoring record intact, having scored in every game since the trip to Kidderminster in August. But Southport’s defensive record is impressive in recent weeks, conceding three in their last six league games.
With City struggling at home this season and Southport yet to find their feet on the road, this game poses a good opportunity for both sides.
FIXTURE DETAILS
Oxford City v Southport
Court Place Farm – Saturday 2nd November – 15:00
Vanarama National League North
Referee: Neil Pratt | Assistants: Joseph Larkin & Josh Brookland | Fourth Official: Simon Kavanagh
Form
OXFORD CITY - L D W L W
Oxford City are on their best run of form of the season. Back-to-back wins on the road against Radcliffe and Warrington have showcased the full potential of the Hoops at both ends of the pitch.
The last time City played at Court Place Farm was the midweek defeat to King’s Lynn and while the result may not have told the full story of the game, with Oxford City enjoying the large majority of the chances, it gave both players and fans the belief that City will begin marching up the table.
On home results alone, City currently sit in 21st, just inside the relegation zone, yet Ross Jenkins has shored up the defensive line and City look increasingly threatening going forwards.
They will be hoping for a performance of the same calibre that was shown against Scunthorpe, Warrington and Radcliffe, which should be enough for the Hoops to get something out of the game on the weekend.
SOUTHPORT - W W L W W
With four wins from their last five league matches, the only blip coming away to Leamington where they were reduced to ten-men, Southport will be full of hope they can take something away from Court Place Farm.
A 2-0 victory over a struggling Rushall Olympic gave Southport back-to-back home wins, but their away form still leaves something to be desired.
They have only picked up six points in as many games and won once in their last four trips away.
The Sandgrounders have also only netted five times away from home and conceded 14 goals, placing them, on away form, just above the relegation zone.
ONE TO WATCH - Danny Lloyd
Lloyd is in a rich vein of form, coming into the game against Oxford City with three goals in his last two appearances and four in his last five.
It is his second stint with Southport having gone through their youth ranks, making his senior debut with the side in 2009, a 4-2 victory over Stafford Rangers, before he was released in 2011.
A few years later he signed a three-year deal with League One side Peterborough United. He made his professional debut on the opening day of the 2017/18 season as a substitute in the 2-1 win over Plymouth Argyle.
Lloyd then bounced around clubs like Salford City, Tranmere Rovers, Gillingham, Rochdale and Livingston before returning to the Sandgrounders in 2024, twelve years after he left the club.
THE MANAGER - Jim Bentley
When Southport appointed Jim Bentley as manager in 2023, they were bottom of the league with one point through their first six games. Now the Sandgrounders sit in the playoff spots and in fine form.
Bentley enjoyed an illustrious playing career for Telford United and Morecambe. In 2007, Bentley was the captain of the side that defeated Exeter City in the Conference playoff final, promoting Morecambe to the football league for the first time in their history.
Four years later, the Shrimps appointed Bentley to the role of player-manager despite not playing a single game during his tenure at the club.
When Paul Tisdale was sacked from Exeter City in 2018, Bentley became the longest serving manager in the football league until he resigned in 2019 to become the manager of AFC Fylde.
HOW TO FOLLOW
FOLLOW THE ACTION:
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The game will also feature as a live commentary on BBC Radio Oxford via BBC Sounds or the BBC Sport Website.
