Defeated in the North-East.

Hartlepool United 2

Crawford 56'

Grey 61'

Oxford City 1

Toure 77’

Two goals in the space of five minutes consigned Oxford City to defeat in the Vanarama National League, as Hartlepool United ran out 2-1 winners at Victoria Park.

Anthony Mancini instigated both of the host’s goals, as Tom Crawford & Joe Grey wrapped up the win, but they had to survive a late Oxford City onslaught after Seydil Toure’s scored his first goal for the club late on.

SELECTION

Ross Jenkins made two changes to the side that lost to Dorking on New Year’s Day. Alfie Potter & Alex McQueen made way for Josh Parker & Levi Lumeka.

Elsewhere, there was a place on the bench for new loan signing Alex Fisher, who signed the day before the game. Mitchell Roberts also returned to the bench after injury had prevented him from being involved in the last match.

Report

Conditions were difficult for both sides, with torrents of rain making the surface less than ideal for both clubs. 

Hartlepool came into this fixture with renewed vigour as interim manager Lennie Lawrence took his place in the dugout for the first time, after the departure of John Askey last week.

Furthemore, they came close to opening the scoring in just eleven minutes. Joe Grey had room to turn inside the box, and once he did, he fired a shot towards goal which cannoned back off the crossbar.

A strong start seemed to give the Poolies bundles of confidence going forward, and the front three of Grey, Anthony Mancini & Callum Cooke was causing City a whole host of problems.

However, the Hoops defence stood strong throughout the entirety of the first-half.

Perhaps Ross Jenkins’ side were lucky that Mancini’s shot after sixteen minutes drifted inches past the post, but Canice Carroll superbly blocked two efforts that looked destined for goal.

He didn’t know too much about the first block, but was in the right place to block Mancini’s powerful shot from finding the net after it hit him in the face.

Although, if he didn’t know too much about the first block, he did know about the second. Nicky Featherstone’s long-range effort looked like it was about to find the net, but the City defender did well to close him down and block the effort.

It wasn’t all one-way traffic in the half though, Olly Sanderson did well to juggle with the ball and find an angle for a shot, but he couldn’t hit the target.

Half-Time: Hartlepool United 0-0 Oxford City

Second-Half

The difference in the game was due to the impact of one man. Anthony Mancini.

Starting his first match since a lengthy lay off due to an ACL injury, he tormented the City defence throughout his 65 minutes on the field.

He would’ve grabbed the opener if it weren’t for Jack Bycroft’s strong save to palm away his effort five minutes after the re-start.

However, just four minutes after that chance, he instigated the opening goal.

Again, the midfielder saw his shot saved by Jack Bycroft, but the Hoops’ goalkeeper could only parry the fierce drive away from goal.

Then, Tom Crawford swept into the box and found the bottom corner to break the deadlock.

Just after the hour mark, the hosts doubled their lead. Once more, Mancini the creator, this time driving forward and poking a shot underneath Bycroft.

The ball squirmed underneath the City stopper, but Joe Grey was ready and waiting to follow in for an easy tap-in, before a defender could clear the lines.

Grey almost had a second goal moments later, but this time Bycroft denied the striker with another solid save. He did well to quickly pounce to his bottom right corner and palm Grey’s effort away from goal.

Although, despite the deficit, the Hoops began to take the game to the Poolies.

Jacob Roddy almost pulled a goal back after Josh Parker did well to bring the ball down from mid-air and find the on-rushing centre-half. However, Roddy’s right footed effort curled agonisingly wide of the post from a tight-angle inside the box.

Josh Parker was next to try his luck, and if it wasn’t for a matter of millimetres, he would’ve hauled City back into the contest.

A free-kick from around 25-yards out looked like it was about to find the top corner with Hartlepool ‘keeper Dixon at full stretch. However, he watched his shot bounce back off the post and away to safety.

City did get their goal, though. Again, a set piece was sent into the box and helped on by Sanderson. The ball bounced across the six-yard box and Seydil Toure was on hand to tap home for his first City (and senior) goal.

Ross Jenkins’ side continued to chase an equaliser but it proved to be elusive. In fact, Renny Smith produced a moment of class to deny the hosts a third, running back through the entire half to recover and deny what looked to be a certain goal with his perfectly-timed sliding tackle.

The result in the Nort-East (and elsewhere) means City drop down a single place in the league table to 22^nd.

The team now have a rare weekend off before their next test, an away trip to Woking in the Vanarama National League.

Match Details

Attendance: 3,521 (24 Oxford City)

Oxford City Starting XI: 

Bycroft, Toure, Kirby (Fisher 57'), Roddy, Coyle, Fleet (C), Sanderson, Parker (Potter 88'), Smith, Carroll, Lumeka (Williams-Bushell 69')

Subs not used: Roberts, Humphrey-Ewers

Hartlepool United XI: 

Dixon, Ferguson, Wallace, Mancini (Hastie 66'), Cooke (Hancox 88'), Grey, Crawford, Onariase, Hendrie, Stephenson, Featherstone (C)

Subs not used: Pruti, Paterson, Jameson