Away day woes continue at Wealdstone.

Wealdstone 3

Smith 33'

Bowen 48', 57'

Oxford City 1

Parker 28'

Josh Parker’s stunner wasn’t enough for Oxford City as they were beaten 3-1 at Wealdstone in the Vanarama National League.

Parker’s free-kick spectacularly gave City the lead before the hosts responded through Kyle Smith. However, a second-half double from Sam Bowen secured all three points for the Stones.

SELECTION

City Manager Ross Jenkins handed a debut to new signing Claudio Ofosu, who signed just before kick-off.

Tafari Moore replaced Joe Wilson in City’s on other change.

However, there was a place on the bench for defender Phil Croker, who was rewarded with a place in the squad after an impressive hat-trick in the FA Youth Cup on Wednesday.

There was still no place in the squad for a number of notable absentees in the squad, as City’s walking wounded continue to stay side-lined.

First-Half

In the first ten minutes, City’s backs were against the wall.

Nathan Ferguson and Tarryn Allarakhia both saw efforts fly wide of Chris Haigh’s goal and Lewis Miccio had to make a superb block from Tahvon Campbell to keep the score goalless.

However, after weathering the storm, City took the lead in superb fashion.

Zac McEachran was hacked down 25-yards out from goal and the resulting free-kick was emphatically converted by Parker.

The Striker sent a curling effort over the wall and into the top corner. Wealdstone ‘keeper Jed Ward was at full stretch, but could do nothing about the strike. 0-1.

The lead was short-lived, though.

Wealdstone levelled through Kyle Smith. The Stones winger had enough room on the edge of the box to find an angle and send a low effort into the bottom corner of the net.

The first-half was played at a frantic pace, and supporters were treated to an entertaining contest. Moreover, both sides could’ve gone into the interval ahead.

Zac McEachran almost grabbed City a second, but his low shot from the edge of the area was well held by Ward. Furthermore, Miccio again blocked another Campbell effort from finding the net.

Half-Time: Wealdstone 1-1 Oxford City

Second-half

It took only three minutes for a second-half goal. Sam Bowen grabbed the hosts a second before City could find their feet after the break.

A low ball beat the Hoops’ backline and Bowen had all the time in the world to place the ball past Chris Haigh.

Just before the hour mark, Wealdstone had their third goal and secured all three points. Again Bowen was the scorer, this time in spectacular fashion.

He received the ball on the edge of the area after City failed to clear their lines from a corner, and the midfielder sent a right-footed shot curling into the top corner.

City continued to ride their luck in the half after Tahvon Campbell hit the post, but Ross Jenkins’ side threw the kitchen sink at their opponents as they scrambled for a way back into the game.

Josh Parker again tried to score a goal in spectacular fashion, and his long-range deflected effort almost caught Ward off his guard. However, the Stone’s number one crucially tipped the effort over his crossbar at the last second.

Rafferty Pedder, Renny Smith and Olly Sanderson all came close in the last fifteen minutes of the game but all three saw efforts either blocked by a resilient Stone’s defence or drift wide of the mark.

The last fifteen minutes saw the Hoops play some fluid attacking football, and they were causing the hosts problems in the final third, but unfortunately it was a case of too little, too late.

Although, the match very nearly ended 4-1. Substitute Sean Adarkwa had the simplest of finishes to tap home a cross from point-blank range, but somehow he watched his shot bounce back off the underside of the crossbar. A chance that looked harder to miss.

A tough night for the Hoops, who go again on Saturday at home to promotion-chasing Barnet.

Match Details

Attendance: 1,029

Oxford City Starting XI: 

Oxford City Starting XI: Haigh, Burley, Miccio (Coyle 46’), McEachran (Fonkeu 80’), Pedder, Roberts, Parker ©, Smith, Humphrey-Ewers, Moore, Ofosu (Sanderson 65’)

Subs not used: Wilson, Croker

Wealdstone XI: 

Ward, Cook (c), Barker, Charles, Allarakhia (Mason 66'), Ferguson, Kretzschmar (Obiero 84'), Smith, Bowen, Mundle-Smith, Campbell (Adarkwa 90')

Subs not used: Clayden, Abdulmalik