Second-half showing not enough for the Hoops.

Oxford City 0

Barnet 2

Stead 28', 33'

Despite a strong second-half performance, Oxford City fell to a 2-0 defeat against high-flying Barnet in the Vanarama Naional League.

The Bees, who went ahead before the interval through a Callum Stead double, capitalised City’s slow start.

However, City came fighting back in the second-half, but were met by an in-firm Lawrie Walker in between the sticks for the away side, who made a string of fine saves to deny the Hoops a way back into the game.

SELECTION

Ross Jenkins handed Goalkeeper Marcin Brzozowski his debut, as he replaced Chris Haigh who dropped to the bench. Canice Carroll also returned from illness, he replaced Lewis Miccio.

First-Half

The first-half was dominated by the visitors as the Hoops failed to find their feet in the game.

Nicke Kabamba’s flicked header after only six minutes was a sign of the oncoming barrage of Barnet attacks that were to follow.

However, through new signing Claudio Ofosu, The Hoops have perhaps unearthed a player who can hurt opposition defences, and he almost helped put City twice in a matter of seconds.

Firstly, the sent a fierce shot from a tight angle towards goal, but Laurie Walker made his first save of the afternoon, palming his effort behind for a corner.

Then, just seconds afterwards, Ofosu used his skill and a quick burst of pace to beat his man and find Josh Parker inside the six-yard box. Parker did well to flick the cross towards goal, but he couldn’t find the power he needed to really test Walker.

Although, that chance seemed to spark he visitors into life and they started to bombard Brzozowski’s goal.

Firstly Courtney Senior flashed an effort wide of the post, before Mitchell Roberts was on hand to brilliantly deny Kabamba.

The City defender got to a cross seconds before the Barnet striker was about to fire home, providing a vital touch to send the ball out for a corner.

Barnet kept loading players into the box, but the Bees’ crosses seemed to all miss that finishing touch inside the area. Brzozowski’s debut was certainly a busy one, on numerous occasions he would’ve been relieved to see chances drift wide of his post.

However, City were still threatening through half-chances on the counter. Josh Parker saw his volley land into Walker’s grateful grasp, whilst Rafferty Pedder’s curled effort after cutting inside from the left-wing flew over.

Despite that, Barnet took a worthy lead just before the half-hour mark. This time, they did get the finishing touch to a dangerous cross into the box after Callum Stead poked Kabamba’s flicked header underneath Brzozowski and into the net.

Barnet continued to push and they doubled their lead just four minutes later. Again, Stead was the scorer, this time firing an effort into the top corner of the net from the edge of the box. Brzozowski got a fingertip to the effort, but it wasn’t enough to divert the trajectory of the shot to safety.

All in all, City did well to keep the scoreline down at 0-2 in the first-half and remained in the game at the interval.

Half-Time: Oxford City 0-2 Barnet

Second-half

However, as we’ve come to see this season, City provided a much stronger challenge to the Bees in the second-half.

Jenkins opted to make a change at half-time and tweak his formation, as Pedder was replaced by the lively Olly Sanderson. Furthermore, the change of shape (and whatever he said at the break) worked well.

The Hoops were full of energy and brought the game to Barnet, and it took just two minutes after the re-start for City to go close.

Somehow, after three quick-fire shots at point-blank range, City couldn’t find the net. Again, Walker made a super save to deny Sanderson, before Harry Pritchard cleared McEachran’s double effort off the line. City somehow not back into the contest.

Again, Walker was called into action, this time denying Josh Parker in spectacular fashion. Latrell Humphrey-Ewers’ corner found Carroll free inside the area and Parker met the defender’s cushioned pass with a strong header back across the face of goal.

Somehow though, Walker managed to keep the ball from crossing the line with a strong save.

The game continued in the same fashion, and City couldn’t find a way past Barnet’s impressive goalkeeper. Sanderson, Tafari Moore and Renny Smith all had efforts denied by the shot-stopper, which left the Hoops wondering what they had to do to score.

It wasn’t City’s day, and that was exemplified by another late chance from Sanderson. Again, he broke through the Barnet backline, but his drilled effort zipped wide of the post.

Now, City’s walking wounded will have a well-needed rest with no game on Saturday (due to the FA Cup weekend). Next up, Woking visit the RAW Charging Stadium on Saturday 11^th November.

Match Details

Attendance: 979 (450 Barnet)

Oxford City Starting XI: 

Brzozowski, Burley, McEachran, Pedder (Sanderson 46'), Roberts, Parker ©, Smith, Carroll, Humphrey-Ewers, Moore (Miccio 77'), Ofosu (Fonkeu 77')

Subs not used: Haigh, Coyle

Barnet XI: 

Walker, Armstrong (Gorman 65’), Okimo, Senior (Barratt 65’), Kabamba (Hooper 75’), Stead, Pritchard, Hartigan, Wynter, Potter, Brunt

Subs not used: Beard, Cropper