South Shields leave OX3 with all three points.

Oxford City 1

Sinclair 52'

South Shields 4

Crossley 2'

Blackett 49', 62'

Rutledge 78'

On a wet day in OX3, Oxford City were made to rue a string of missed opportunities in the first-half as South Shields ran out 1-4 winners in Vanarama National League North.

Corie Andrews scored his first Oxford City goal with a neat finish to cancel out Kyle Crossley's opener.

However, the game turned after the interval, as South Shields piled on the pressure to win the game.

Paul Blackett's double and Aidan Routledge's strike did the damage for the promotion-hopefuls on the afternoon to forget at Court Place Farm.

Selection

Sam Cox made one change from Tuesday's loss against Curzon Ashton. 

Corie Andrews was given his first start, as he came in for midfielder Brad Stretton who subsequently dropped to the bench.

First-Half

It took just two minutes for the first goal. Kyle Crossley scored with the first attack of the game, rifling the ball past Kai McKenzie-Lyle and into the bottom corner.

However, Oxford City got themselves level almost instantly.

The Hoops were quick to fight back with a beautiful goal from Corie Andrews on his first start for the club. He managed to poke the ball into the bottom of the net after a cross from the left to level the scores. 

A few minutes of later, Zac McEachran tried his best to whip a shot into the top corner but his effort missed flew over the crossbar.

Nevertheless, there was defending to do, as the Hoops defended well.

The ball glided across an open box but McKenzie-Lyle was there to punch the effort off the line, but into the feet of South Shields’ striker Blackett.

Yet again City cleared off the line in a spectacular fashion, putting bodies on the line to block the ball from crossing the line.

City’s high press forced South Shields 'keeper Myles Boney into a mistake minutes later. Boney panicked and rolled the ball into Corie Andrews, who crossed it to Josh Parker, but the striker couldn't slot the ball in from close-range. 

There was controversy in the first-half as South Shields thought they should've had another goal. Captain Robert Briggs fired towards goal, and his ferocious shot hit the underside of the crossbar before bouncing off the line and away.

The Mariner's faithful thought that the ball had crossed the line, and so did the players! However, the referee and assistant remained unmoved. Very 'Frank Lampard vs Germany' esque.

Only a few minutes later, a end-to-end game almost had another goal, but Josh Parker fired wide from Reece Fleet's pass

Half-Time: Oxford City 1-1 South Shields 

Second-Half

As the weather turned, so did the performance, as South Shields’ Paul Blackett put the Mariner's back ahead.

He was too quick to latch onto a ball on the right-wing and planted the ball past McKenzie-Lyle to put the visitor's ahead again. 

As the rain finally started to clear, City started to put pressure on the visitors.

Elliott-Wheeler was quick to have a shot (or three) on goal. However, each one was deflected or blocked by a stubborn Shields defence. Shield by name and nature.

The Mariner's third goal though, was a moment of class.

Paul Blackett scored his second of the match, he picked up the ball from the edge of the area and caught the City defence unawares to lob the ball into the top-corner.

After the torrential downpour, the sun finally came out, but it was the visitor's who were the brightest on the afternoon.

Right-back Okeke was able to pick the ball up on the halfway line and drive forward,  before crossing to Aidan Routledge in the box who calmly slotted home.

The introductions of Jayden Carbon and Brad Stretton injected some life into the team, but the job was done on the afternoon.

The team won’t have to wait long to put the result right. We take on Kidderminster Harriers at Aggborough Stadium on Monday 26th August at 3pm. 

Attendance: 510