Ruthless City thrash Boreham Wood at the RAW Charging Stadium.

Oxford City 4

Kirby 65'

Parker 75'

Sanderson 80'

McEachran 86'

Boreham Wood 0

A scintillating second-half display from Oxford City on Bank Holiday Monday saw them run out 4-0 winners against last years’ play-off semi-finalists Boreham Wood.

City had to ride their luck and defend valiantly in the first-half with Canice Carroll clearing two balls off the line. However, once Nya Kirby's first goal for City put the Hoops ahead after the hour mark, the floodgates opened.

Josh Parker doubled City's lead, before Olly Sanderson added a goal on his full debut and Zac McEachran marked his return to the pitch with a goal, just seconds after coming on as a substitute.

SELECTION

Two games in three days saw Ross Jenkins shuffle the pack. Olly Sanderson made his first start since returning from Fulham and Aaron Williams-Bushell & Latrell Humphrey-Ewers both started.

Captain Reece Fleet missed the game due to the birth of his child.

First-Half

The away side had the game's first big chance, with Canice Carroll having to clear off the line after an attempt from Lee Ndlovu.

City’s new signing Olly Sanderson, who was making his first start after joining on loan from Fulham on Friday, was then put through down the left but he was unable to keep his shot down and it sailed past the right post after going in one v one with Wood 'keeper Nathan Ashmore.

The away side then thought they had taken the lead, after Ndlovu turned in an effort from O’Neil, but he was adjudged to be offside.

A short back-pass from Carroll was then intercepted by Kwesi Appiah, who rounded Chris Haigh but was unable to turn his shot in from the tight angle, and hit the side-netting.

Oxford City finished the half much stronger, with Josh Ashby’s free kick having to be turned behind by Ashmore in first half stoppage time, but the teams went in level at the break.

Second-half

The second-half began in a similar vein, with both teams fashioning decent opportunities, the best of these falling to Josh Parker, whose shot from 25 yards was just saved by the feet of Ashmore.

The deadlock was finally broken on 65 minutes. Latrell Humphrey-Ewers worked the ball into the box before pulling it back to Nya Kirby on the edge of the 'D', who drilled the ball into the bottom left to give City the lead.

The Hoops continued to pile pressure on the Boreham Wood goal, before Ashby was set away down the left, where he cut the ball back for Parker who squeezed his shot in (despite Boreham Wood's Nathan Ashmore's best attempts) to double the advantage.

The floodgates were opening up at this point, and on 80 minutes City added another with a clever free kick routine. Ashby was creator again, pulling a low ball back to the edge of the area to pick out debutant Sanderson who fired into the net.

Boreham Wood had a big chance to pull one back just a few minutes later but Jamal Fyfield was unable to keep his effort from close range down.

The icing on the cake was added with 5 minutes to go, when Zac McEachran, who entered the field no more than a few seconds before, played an intelligent one-two on the edge of the box before sending Ashmore the wrong way with a low shot into the bottom left.

City saw the game out to claim a rampant first win in club history at this level, and this saw them rise out of the relegation zone into 19th place.

Match Details

Attendance: 1,034

Oxford City Starting XI: 

Haigh, Burley, Miccio, Ashby, Kirby, Coyle, Sanderson (McEachran 86'), Parker, Williams-Bushell (Moore 72'), Carroll, Humphrey-Ewers

Subs not used:  Harrison, Potter, Fonkeu

Boreham Wood Starting XI: 

Ashmore, Stephens, Fyfield, Bush, Coxe, Ilesanmi, O'Niel, Whelan, Marsh, Ndlovu, Appiah (Abraham 78')

Subs not used:  Brennan, Sousa, Miller