Match Preview | Spennymoor Town v Oxford City
A look ahead to the final game of the season.
Well, here we are. The final game of the 2024/25 season. How better to cap it off than a mammoth journey 496-mile round journey to Spennymoor Town?
The Hoops' turnaround this season means there's no final day nervousness going into this one, and fans won't need to have their ears glued to the radio in hope that other results fall their way.
However, the same can't be said for Saturday's hosts. Spennymoor, albeit a small chance, can still book their place in the play-offs with a win on the final day, but they'll need slip ups from the four teams above them.
The Moors have already booked their place at Wembley in the FA Trophy Final this season, whose to say they can't do it twice in the same season?
After-all, this is the National League North and stranger things have happened...
It'll be another emotional occasion for the Hoops. After a fitting send off for Reece Fleet & captain Lewis Coyle in the home game of the season on Monday, both players will be in contention to make their final appearance for the club.
Nevertheless, Hoops fans won't forget the late season revival, and perhaps the fact that the team come into this game without the added pressure of a one-game relegation shootout, comes as a relief. If City can pick up three points, and the three teams above them in the table all slip-up, the Hoops will end the season in 15th - the highest position they'll have been in throughout the entire 2024/25 season.
One thing is for sure, there's still a few twists & turns to come.
FIXTURE DETAILS
Spennymoor Town v Oxford City
The Brewery Field – Saturday 26th April – 3:00pm
Vanarama National League North
Referee: Callum Jones | Assistant Referees: Kieran Downey & Elliot Cowens | Fourth Official: Glen Hart
FORM
OXFORD CITY - W D L L W
It's been a superb turnaround for City in the past few months, and it's conceivable that the Hoops could finish seventeen points above the drop zone come 5 O'clock on Saturday.
That's some achievement considering they were in the bottom four just over a month ago.
The two defeats in their last five have come against two promotions hopefuls in Hereford & Brackley. However, wins over Farsley Celtic & Rushall Olympic and a draw away at Southport has cemented the steady form that has hauled them away from danger.
Victory for City at Spennymoor (and results going their way) could leave them with a 15th placed finish. If that happens, it'll be the highest City have been placed in the league all season.
SPENNYMOOR TOWN - W W L D W
Spennymoor have had a magical end to their season, upsetting the odds to defy Rochdale in the Isuzu FA Trophy and book their place in the final at Wembley.
They've been going well in NLN too, but they'll be hoping for a minor miracle to book a play-off spot on the final day, albeit still possible.
Three wins in their last five league games against Warrington Town, Curzon Ashton and South Shields have kept the play-off dream alive.
However, they'll need a win as an absolute minimum against City with defeats elsewhere for Chorley, Hereford and Curzon AND anything other than a win for Buxton in their final games to qualify for the end of season knockout.
LAST TIME OUT
It was a memorable day at the MGroup Stadium as City marked the festive period with a dominant 3-0 win over Saturday's opponents.
ONE TO WATCH - Junior Mondal
Exciting attacker Junior Mondal signed on at The Brewery Field following his departure from Whiby Town in the summer.
A graduate of Middlesbrough’s Academy, Mondal joined The Teessiders when he was just 11 and went on to take up a scholarship with the club in 2013.
A first professional contract followed, and he began to feature for Boro’s Under-21 side as they won the Premier League Division 2 title in 2014/15.
Mondal’s senior breakthrough arrived in 2016/17 when he made three appearances in the League Cup, but he moved on at the end of the season and signed for Moors that summer before joining Whitby on a dual registration.
Comfortable in attack or out wide, Mondal earned a move to the EFL with Forest Green Rovers in 2019 and also played for AFC Fylde and Darlington before playing under Moors boss Graeme Lee at Marske United.
He returned to Whitby in 2023 and was one of the standout performers last term, scoring important goals against Chelmsford City and Bristol Rovers as The Seasiders enjoyed a memorable run to the First Round Proper of the FA Cup.
THE MANAGER - Graeme Lee
Graeme Lee was appointed as the new First Team Manager of Spennymoor Town in January 2024 after stepping down from his previous role in charge of Marske United.
Since then, he's made a huge impact with Spennymoor, most notably booking their place in a Wembley Final in the FA Trophy to extend their current season.
Born in Middlesbrough into a football family, Graeme Lee went on to carve out a successful playing career in the Football League during
which he made over 500 senior appearances.
A stylish centre-back, he came through the ranks at Hartlepool United where he made a debut in 1995 at the age of just 17 when
appearing as a substitute against Arsenal in the League Cup.
Unfazed by coming up against the likes of Ian Wright and Dennis Bergkamp, Lee quickly established himself in the Pools back four and was a core part of the team as they reached the League Two play-offs three seasons
in a row.
Lee recovered from a serious knee injury to be a virtual ever-present in the heart of the defence as Pools finally clinched automatic
promotion when they finished runners-up in 2002/03.
His dominant and classy performances meant that Pools boss Chris Turner took him to Sheffield Wednesday when he was appointed boss at Hillsborough and Lee was Player of the Year in his debut campaign.
The Owls bounced back from relegation to win promotion with a Play-Off Final win in 2004/05 – ironically beating Lee’s former side
Hartlepool at The Millennium Stadium – though missed the game through injury.
He moved onto Doncaster Rovers in 2006 and he clinched a place in the Club’s history books when he captained the side to the EFL Trophy
Final in 2007 and scored the winning goal to land the silverware.
Loans at Hartlepool and Shrewsbury Town followed before Lee made a permanent switch to Bradford City in 2008 and then Notts County in 2009 where he went on to win another promotion.
In 2011 he agreed a deal to join Darlington, but financial problems soon beset The Quakers and he left in January 2012 to play the remainder of the season at Celtic Nation before retirement.
Hometown club Middlesbrough offered him the opportunity to cut his teeth in coaching with a position in their much-celebrated Academy and Lee never looked back.
He spent over a decade working in various roles within the Boro set-up before being unveiled as Lead Coach for the club’s Under-23s in
2019.
However, ambition burned deeply inside Lee and when the opportunity arose for him to take up the challenge as Manager of Hartlepool
United in 2021, he could not turn down a return to his former club.
Filling the shoes of promotion-winning boss Dave Challinor was a tough ask, Lee got stuck in and led the team to the semi-finals of the
EFL Trophy as well as a memorable to the FA Cup Fourth Round where almost 5,000 travelling fans saw them beaten at Premier League Crystal Palace.
Fans were surprised when Lee parted company with the club after less than six months in charge but his appetite to prove himself was
undiminished and he reemerged in charge of Marske United last summer.
Financial problems at Mount Pleasant made the job a tricky one but Lee persevered and gave the club’s supporters something to smile about over Christmas as victories over Ashton United and Guiseley helped lift them out of the danger zone.
Lee’s appointment as boss at The Brewery Field means he is following in the footsteps of his legendary father Tony, who was manager of
Spennymoor United in the early-2000s.
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.
