Match Preview | Oxford City v Sporting Khalsa
Hoops prepare to enter the Isuzu FA Trophy.
With a week to rest and recover from the brutal encounter with Scarborough Athletic, Oxford City will relish the opportunity to make a run deep into this tournament and set up a potential final at Wembley.
Sporting Khalsa currently sit 4th in the Northern Premier League Midlands division (Step 4) and are in a strong position to be pushing for promotion out of the league.
Ross Jenkins is looking to maintain the standards that have been set in the last few weeks with wins against Hereford and Radcliffe.
While the Hoops do have some players away on international duty the strength in depth is something that will be relied on heavily over the season, especially if they are to go deep into this tournament.
FIXTURE DETAILS
Oxford City v Sporting Khalsa
The MGroup Stadium – Saturday 16th November – 15:00
Isuzu FA Trophy Second Round
Referee: Dan England Assistants: Thomas Berry & John Perry | Fourth Official: Dylan Ing
How we got here
OXFORD CITY
The second round is the point at which City enter the tournament as they will look to continue their fine run of form in the National League North and right the wrongs of a disappointing end to their FA Cup hopes after a loss to Gosport Borough.
Having lost just once in their previous five games, City will be full of confidence against a step 4 side, but Manager Ross Jenkins has been keen to remove any complacency from the squad.
City are no strangers to upsets in this competition, having been knocked out in the last two years against lower league sides.
SPORTING KHALSA
1st Round Qual – Coventry Sphinx 0 – 2 Sporting Khalsa
2nd Round Qual – Sporting Khalsa 4 – 3 Nantwich Town
3Rd Round Qual – Sporting Khalsa 5 – 2 Harborough Town
1st Round – Barwell 0 – 2 Sporting Khalsa
Khalsa have enjoyed their longest run in the tournament in the club’s history and are coming up against their toughest test of their season so far.
Comprehensive wins in the last two rounds will give Sporting Khalsa all the confidence they need and playing against an opposition two divisions higher than them will give them all the motivation they need to go to Court Place Farm and grab a result.
ONE TO WATCH - Simeon Cobourne
Sporting Khalsa’s talismanic number 10 scored in every game bar one in October, averaging over a goal a game for the whole month.
Having joined at the start of the season from RC Warwick, Cobourne has taken the league by storm and is the top goalscorer for Sporting Khalsa this season.
He began his career at Coleshill Town before a move to Solihull Moors. The 28-year-old journeyman has bounced around the step 3 and step 4 sides but finally found a home at Khalsa where he has started to rack the goals up.
THE MANAGER - Ian Rowe
Appointed in 2014, Rowe has had a fruitful tenure at Sporting Khalsa. His first season saw them win the West Midlands League title by 27 points with a record 117 points to their name.
His second season saw him achieve a record once again as he guided the side to their longest FA Cup run in the club’s 33-year history, playing the fourth qualifying round.
This season is the first time they have qualified for the FA Trophy after a 5-2 victory over Harborough Town and 2-0 away win over Barwell.
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