Ten-man Oxford City were made to settle for a point away at Alfreton Town in Vanarama National League North, after a late George Cantrill goal broke the Hoops' hearts.

Nigh on no football was played in the 90 minutes, with the ball spending most of its time in the air (or not in play at all).

However, City battled throughout the ninety after Zac McEachran's opener gave them the lead after an impressive early start.

After the break nothing seemed to fall City's way as Josh Parker hit the post and Jalen Jones was sent off for a harsh looking second yellow card with ten minutes to go.

Cantrill drilled Alfreton level after the resulting chaos, but City dug deep to leave with a point against the odds.

Ross Jenkins was forced to make a number of changes to the team after injury and suspension plagued the squad.

Chi Ezennolim, Jalen Jones, Tom Scott, Jayden Carbon and Jacob Roddy all returned to the XI. Whereas Reece Fleet served the first game of his three-match suspension and other injury absentees left the Hoops down to bare bones.

You wouldn't have thought that after the first ten minutes though, as City started brightly.

They made their pressure pay too, as McEachran gave the team the lead after ten minutes.

He wiggled away from his marker, found an inch of space and powered a shot from the edge of the box past a helpless David Robson.

From there on in, this report becomes a simple task.

At the earliest opportunity, Alfreton pumped the ball as far up the pitch as they could. The ball was rarely in play, and when it wasn't, it was in Matthew Lund's hands ready to be launched into the box with his Rory Delap-esque throw-ins.

Lund perhaps had more contact with the stand than he did with the ball at his feet, but it painted the story of the match.

The only downside of the first half was a harsh yellow card for Jones, as he was booked for kicking the ball away and delaying a re-start as the referee's whistle blew for the original foul.

Little did we know it but that would come back to haunt the team.

Half-time: Alfreton Town 0-1 Oxford City

It was the same story in the second-half as the eleven City players strapped themselves in for 45 minutes of defending.

City did just that too. Ezennolim and Roddy shook off any slight hint of rustiness to slot back into the team seamlessly and Jalen Jones was magnificent in the middle of a back three (which more often than not turned into a five).

Laurie Walker was barely forced into making saves, with the shot-stopper consigned to claiming crosses inside the box.

City should've doubled their lead too, but they were denied by mere centimetres.

A long throw in from the Hoops wasn't dealt with this time, and the ball bobbled to Josh Parker in the box. He swiped his right leg at the shot and the ball almost trickled into the net before it bounced off the post and away. So close!

Once again, nothing seems to be going City's way and that was emphasised ten minutes from time when Jones was dismissed for a second yellow card. 

He gave the ball away after a slip, and the ball bounced to an Alfreton man. He subsequently hit the ball at the unbalanced City man and the ball hit his arm. 

By the letter of the law, it's a yellow card. However, the decision (and common sense) deserted City and left a sour taste in the mouth of everyone in attendance from a Hoops point of view. 

Jed Abbey's resulting free-kick smashed the top of the bar to the relief of the hardy travelling contingent of City supporters in the Impact Arena.

Phil Croker was introduced for Carbon as City prepared to defend for their lives. However, if defending with eleven men was tough enough, ten men proved to be one step too far.

In the ensuing chaos of the dismissal, the host's levelled. A ball bounced out to the edge of the box and George Cantrill unleashed a rocket into the top corner. A superb strike from the midfielder, but one that was a gut-punch for the away side.

Nevertheless, as Alfreton retreated to their own half for the re-start, City still had defending to do to make sure they took something back to Oxfordshire with them.

But that they did. Croker defended beyond his years to win every header as Alfreton threw the kitchen sink at City, and the team soaked up the pressure well to secure a point. The least they deserved from the game.

Results elsewhere perhaps make the result harder to digest, as City slip into the bottom four, but come the end of the season this may prove to be a pivotal point.

The team still have two games in hand on rivals in and around them, and that starts on Tuesday evening away at South Shields.

Then, on Saturday, there's another huge game as we return home to face Warrington Town (3pm KO). We need you right there with us.

These players are battling for everything, and you could make the difference.

Attendance: Unknown

Oxford City XI: Walker, Burley, Ezennolim, Ashby, Jones, McEachran (Coyle 77'), Parker, Scott, Carbon (Croker 83'), Roddy, Drewe

Subs not used: Putman, Vaughan, Potter