Sinclair stunner defeats hapless Hoops.

Curzon Ashton 1

Sinclair 52'

Oxford City 0

Oxford City were made to rue a string of missed opportunities as the Hoops were beaten for the first time in the National League North.

A second-half stunner from Isaac Sinclair did the damage on the night, in a clichéd ‘game of two halves’.

Curzon Ashton Goalkeeper Bobby Jones was the star of the show in the first-half, denying the Hoops on numerous occasions.

In the second-half, City couldn’t find their way through a resolute Nash defence.

Selection

Sam Cox made four changes from Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Darlington.

The sight of Reece Fleet starting in the Oxford City XI was a welcome one, he replaced Jayden Carbon in midfield.

Elsewhere, there was a first start for Aidan Elliott-Wheeler and Cardo Siddik also returned to the starting line-up.

First-Half

The first-half was exceptional from City.

On a beautiful surface at the Tameside Stadium, the Hoops were allowed to strut their stuff.

However, as they created chance after chance of intricate moves, they couldn’t find their way past an inspired Bobby Jones in the Curzon net.

Josh Parker had the first sniff of goal, slicing a volley wide of the mark when the ball dropped to him inside the box.

Lewis Coyle and Andre Burley chances followed that. Again, Jones was the star for the hosts, stopping both efforts from finding the net.

 The chances kept coming too, as Josh Ashby was denied not once, but twice.

Jones parried away the midfielder’s free-kick, moments before trying his luck from the edge of the box. It was the same old story, though. Jones save.

At times, City’s football was a joy to watch. Zac McEachran was pulling the strings in the midfield and it was almost like the Hoops’ squad were queuing up to have a ‘pop’ at goal.

The best move of the match came when Josh Ashby threaded a pass through the eye of a needle to find Aidan Elliott-Wheeler. The winger did well to drive down the right wing and keep his composure to fire across the box.

However, both Brad Stretton and Parker could only watch the ball whiz past the end of their toes at full stretch.

It wasn’t all one-way traffic in an entertaining first-half. City had to be at their best at the other end of the pitch too.

Andre Burley had to magnificently block Isaac Buckley-Rickett’s effort off the line to keep the scores level.

Half-Time: Curzon Ashton 0-0 Oxford City

Second-Half

However, the second-half didn’t go to plan for the Hoops.

A re-invigorated Curzon team emerged from the tunnel and five minutes after the interval the edged ahead.

The goal, quite simply put, was a moment of class (albeit a simple move).

A cross from the right found its way to Sinclair, who acrobatically turned in mid-air to send a scissor-kick flying past McKenzie-Lyle. The deadlock was broken.

From there, we expected to see a City fight back, but despite the huff & puff of the squad a resolute Curzon Ashton defence proved to be too hard a nut to crack.

In fact, it was the hosts who nearly doubled their lead. Buckley-Ricketts managed to turn away from two of his markers to send a shot at goal from the edge of the box. However, McKenzie-Lyle was equal to the effort.

As the clock ticked on, Ashby and Elliott-Wheeler both saw their shots saved by Jones. Although, in honesty, they didn’t trouble the Nash’s shot stopper.

In the end, the host’s held out to secure their third win in as many games. For City, it was a tale of what could’ve been.

At the final whistle, the players and staff thanked the ten-or-so travelling City supporters who deserve huge credit for making the mammoth journey.

The team won’t have to wait long to put the result right. We take on South Shields at Court Place Farm on Saturday, before a trip to Kidderminster Harriers on Bank Holiday Monday.

Attendance: 862

Oxford City Starting XI: McKenzie-Lyle, Burley, Ashby, Jones, Coyle, Fleet ©, McEachran (Potter 79'), Stretton, Siddik, Parker (Andrews 67'), Elliott-Wheeler (Carbon 79')

Subs not used: Kpekawa, Roddy

Curzon Ashton Starting XI: Jones, Poscha, Matthews, Griffiths (Sobowale 90+1), Buckley-Ricketts (Waring 90+4'), Sinclair, Spencer ©, Mols (Darby 90+1'), Hayhurst, Richards, Barton

Subs not used: Afuye, Mahon