Oxford City had to settle for a a 2-2 draw with Chorley at Court Place Farm today as a strange sending off ended their hopes of a first win of the campaign.

First half goals from Andre Burley and Corie Andrews looked to be sending City towards all three points but Harvey Smith jumped Chorley back into the game  and then, following Andrews' red card, Craig Hewitt levelled for the visitors to cap a frustrating afternoon for The Hoops.

After successive defeats over the Bank Holiday there was a change of shape to a three man back line and Burley and Jacob Roddy playing as wing backs, a switch that allowed City to dominate the first half. It was Burley who gave them the lead when he joined the attack to confidently finish after Andrews had chased down and pressurised visiting keeper Matt Urwin into an error.

With confident new keeper Rylee Mitchell making a couple of good saves to settle any nerves City deservedly doubled their lead on 33 when Andrews drilled home his second of the season from close range after neat build up down City’s left flank.

Andy Preece’s Magpies had offered little in the first half but they began to come more into the game after the break, hitting back to make it 2-1 when a first effort clipped the bar, the follow up was smothered on the line but Smith found the net at the third attempt with a low drive past the stranded Mitchell.

There was then an extraordinary moment on 75 when City went down to ten men in the strangest of circumstances. Andrews was leaving the field to applause, with Jayden Carbon trotting on to replace him. However Andrews delayed his exit too long and ref Harry Warner showed him a second yellow card before he could cross the white line. No sub and City down to ten men.

With a sickening inevitability they were punished two minutes later as Chorley took full advantage of the extra man to create a chance for former Banbury forward Hewitt to thump the ball past MItchell and level at 2-2.

Mitchell made a decent save to preserve the point but not for the first time this season City had failed to turn the positives of a fine first half into a win.

Oxford City Starting XI:

Mitchell, Burley (Elliott-Wheeler 89), Jones, Siddick, Kpekawa, Roddy, Fleet, Ashby, Coyle (Carbon 78), Andrews, McEachran (Potter 78)

Report by Chris Williams, pictures Simon Godfrey