FIXTURE DETAILS

 Oxford City vs Solihull Moors

Vanarama National League

The RAW Charging Stadium   Saturday 23rd December, 15:00

The BIG Festive Matchday

Referee: Aaron Bannister   Assistants: Sam Wesson & Timothy Walker  Fourth Official: George Enever

RECENT FORM

Oxford City - L D L L L

City’s hopes of survival in the National League have taken a dent in recent weeks, after falling to defeats in three of their last four league games.

Sandwiched between these was a defeat in the Cup at home to National League South side Chelmsford, which saw them exit the FA Trophy at the third round stage.

They took a point in an enthralling game against Kidderminster at the end of last month, but have since tasted defeat against Maidenhead and Boreham Wood.

The side currently sits in 22nd place, three points off 20th place York City.

Remarkably, the Hoops have outscored their opponents in the league this season, despite the difference in league position.

Solihull Moors - L L L W L

Solihull have dropped away slightly from the chasing pack in recent weeks, but still find themselves in a strong league position.

A win on Saturday could see them return to fourth, however they also have four sides below them who are in touching distance and could overtake them if results don’t go their way this weekend.

The Moors fell to consecutive home defeats to Gateshead and Maidenhead, before being thrashed on their travel to Altrincham 6-1.

They responded with victory against Scunthorpe in the FA Trophy, but were unable to translate this into their most recent league game, after being defeated 3-2 at home to Oldham.



They do however boast the second best away record in the league, picking up 21 of their 37 points this season on their travels.

ONE TO WATCH - Josh Kelly

A proven goalscorer, Kelly is playing some of the best football of his life this season so far.

Born in Windsor, Kelly represented the Northern Ireland youth sides earlier in his career. He started out his club football with Ascot United, before a move to Windsor FC, where he made his first-team debut at the age of 16.

He then joined the Maidenhead development side, before a short loan spell at Chalfont St Peter.

A first team debut at Maidenhead followed, before another loan spell, this time at Walton Casuals. This proved to be a roaring success, as Kelly went on to score a ridiculous 39 goals in the 2017-18 season.

The following season, the striker was given his chance at Maidenhead, and made frequent appearances over the following two seasons, scoring ten goals.

A move to an EFL club in the summer of 2020 didn’t materialise, so Kelly spent two more years at the Magpies, the second of which he scored 15 goals and scooped up three club awards.

He made his move to Solihull in July last year, penning a three-year deal with the Midlands club. The side had narrowly missed out on promotion the season prior, losing after extra time to Grimsby in the play-off final.

Kelly hit double figures in his maiden season for the Moors, and has already matched his tally from last year in under half the games.

HAVE WE MET BEFORE?

The sides played out a thrilling 3-3 draw at Damson Park in September, with Olly Sanderson, Josh Parker and Josh Ashby all on the scoresheet. We also met in the FA Cup in 2019, where a prolific first half performance gave the Moors a resounding 5-1 victory.



Since 2012, the sides have faced each other eight times. Solihull have come out on top four times, with City winning twice, along with two draws.

THE MANAGER - Andy Whing

Whing will be very familiar with the surroundings when he visits on Saturday, having spent four years at Oxford United as a player between 2011 and 2015, where he developed a cult hero status.

The 39-year-old spent his full career in the EFL, turning out for Coventry, Brighton, Chesterfield, Leyton Orient and Oxford United over 12 years.

He turned to management five years after his retirement, taking over Banbury United in 2020. He led the side to pormotion in the 2021-22 season, taking them up to the National League North for the first time in the club’s history.

He stuck with the side for one more season, ensuring their safety in the league, before resigning from his role in May this year.



He was appointed Solihull Moors manager at the start of the season, and began life in the Midlands by picking up the Manager of the Month award for August.

PLAYED FOR BOTH

The most recent player that's played for both sides is Mitchell Roberts. The former Birmingham City academy graduate has become a staple in Ross Jenkins' squad after signing in October, but he also appeared for Solihull in the previous campaign.

However, perhaps most notable is Ade Yussuf! The talismanic striker scored 27 times for City back in the 2014/15 season. For Solihull, he also became a fans' favourite. He scored a brace on his first appearance for Moors against Dagenham & Redbridge and earned himself a move to EFL side Blackpool with his red-hot form.



HOW TO FOLLOW

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LIVE COMMENTARY ON BBC SOUNDS

This match will have LIVE commentary on BBC Sounds curtesy of BBC Radio Oxford. Simply tune in to BBC Radio Oxford on the BBC Sounds app, or head to the non-league commentary page HERE.