Ross Jenkins made the call to rotate the squad with the Hoops facing two games in three days over the Bank Holiday. George Harmon and Zac McEachran dropped to the bench and Harry Kyprianou and Lewis Coyle took their place in the starting eleven.

In a half of few chances, City produced a dominant and clinical performance and the first clear-cut chance of the half brought the first-goal.

A mistake from Concord left-back Al-Amin Kazeem gifted Reece Fleet the ball, before he found Joe Iaciofano running into the penalty area. Iaciofano beat the offside trap and had the freedom of the Aspect Arena to fire home City’s first.

Concord weren’t getting the rub of the green in the early stages of the game and manager Chris Search was forced to make two changes due to injuries in the first-half. The lively Louis Ramsay looked to cause problems down the right-wing but the hosts couldn’t find their way past a resolute Hoops defence.

There was controversy seconds before the interval when Lewis Coyle dispossessed the lackadaisical Ryan Blackman and had a free run into the box before he was brought down inside the penalty area. Unfortunately for City, referee Kirsty Dowle adjudged that the foul took place outside the area despite the protests from the City squad. Free-kick given.

However, it didn’t matter in the end. Josh Ashby stepped up to take the free-kick and found the top corner of the net with a sublime finish, despite the best efforts from Rangers’ Goalkeeper Myles Roberts.

Half-time: Concord Rangers 0-2 Oxford City

Ten minutes after the interval, Concord found a leveller. Blackman started an intricate move and squared a pass across the six-yard box where Temi Babalola was waiting to tap home. He almost fluffed his lines when he stopped the ball on the line with the goal gaping but kept his cool to quickly react and tap home. Game on.

The match started to get quite feisty, from then on in, with the hosts’ Babalola using all the tactics in the book to gain a reaction from the City squad. Firstly, wrapping Charlie Rowan into a headlock after a missed chance, then partaking in an off the ball tussle with Lewis Coyle minutes later.

However, the Hoops battled on and matched Concord in all areas the pitch. City could have even added a third goal in the 89^th minute but Myles Roberts denied George Harmon’s close-range header.

In truth, the game will be reflected on as a battling performance but the Hoops showed that when the chips are down, they have what it takes to secure a gritty victory.

Jenkins' men saw the game out to secure a big three points and tighten their grip on fifth spot in Vanarama National League South and go one step closer to a home tie in the play-off eliminator.

Line ups: Concord Rangers: Roberts, Ramsey, Randell, Pollock (Jobe 31’), Kazeem, Green, Blackman, Blanchfield, Reynolds, Williamson, Kyei (Babalola 36’).

 Subs not used: Popo, Payne, Scott.

Oxford City: Dudzinski, Asare, Carroll, Rowan, Owusu, Fleet, Ashby, Kyprianou (Harmon 83’), Coyle, Iaciofano (Benyon 77’), Bancroft.

 Subs not used: McEachran, Clark, Dasilva.