City set the standard for their opponents within the first three minutes as a Josh Ashby free kick from the left skimmed the top of the crossbar, scaring Craig King in the Tudors net.

The Hoops piled on the pressure through a counterattack, Reece Fleet played in Elliot Benyon on the left for a first time strike but the forward failed to make significant contact and watched his effort fall wide of the post.

Cole Kwepka’s attempt to shift the momentum in the visitor’s favour fell short as his 25 yard effort did not trouble Oxford’s net.

Kwepka was involved in the action again as his looping ball from the left found Gus Scott-Morriss at the back post, yet the defender’s header was caught comfortably by Ben Dudzinski.

On the half hour mark, City took the lead, Nana Owusu pounced upon a failed clearance in the box and planted a first-time volley under King into the bottom right corner.

Ashby tried to extend City’s lead with two left footed efforts from the edge of the box but both failed to hit the target.

Just shy of the halftime whistle, Craig Fasanmade found Josh Castiglione on the 6-yard box yet unlike Owusu, he could test City’s number one.

Halftime: Oxford City 1 – 0 Hemel Hempstead

City started the second half much like the first, on the front foot. A driving run by Dan Matsuzaka through the heart of Hemel’s defence ended by finding Joe Iaciofano in the box, however the forwards near post-strike was denied by King.

Hemel created a few chances of their own on the hour mark, both Samir Carruthers and Alfie Williams found space on the edge of the box to let fly yet could not grab an equaliser.

Both teams battled it out in the middle of the park for the remainder of the half with no out and out chances for either side. That was until substitute Harvey Bradbury capitalised on another poor clearance and fired a bullet header into the top left corner to seal all three points for the boys in blue and white.

City's win takes them back up to 3^rd place in the National League South. Ballard and Jenkins’ boys now travel to fellow promotion contenders Maidstone United in a push to disrupt their 13-game unbeaten run.

Fulltime: Oxford City 2 – 0 Hemel Hempstead

Starting XI:  Dudzinski, Asare, Harmon, Fleet, Benyon, McEachran (Coyle, 90’), Owusu, Iaciofano (Bradbury, 82’), Carroll, Matsuzaka

Unused Subs: Rowan, Clark, Kyprianou