The full-time outfit pressed from the off and City struggled to gain a foothold in the game. 

The absence of captain Reece Fleet meant that Ross Jenkins handed Jean-Baptiste Fischer his full debut for the club. Whereas, Lewis Miccio and Charlie Rowan came into the side. 

Welling pressed from the first whistle and allowed the Hoops no time to think in the opening ten minutes. The game plan seemed to be working for the hosts, ‘find the strikers from wherever possible’, and the tactic paid off in the ninth minute. 

A scooped ball from Barnes found Ade Azeez and the striker drilled in the hosts’ first goal.

Azeez and Welling both had their second just after the half hour mark. He raced onto a through-ball and bent a shot towards the corner. Canice Carroll did his best to block the shot with a sliding challenge but it ultimately directed the shot further into the corner despite his best efforts. 

However, City weren’t to be dismayed. A lovely passing move from the Hoops moved the team up the pitch and if it wasn’t for an outstanding save from Myles Roberts in the Welling net it would’ve been 2-1. 

A brilliant cross from the right was floated to the back post and Lewis Miccio headed towards goal but Roberts was equal to the effort, tipping the ball behind for a corner. 

Although, as soon as Jenkins’ side were close to finding a way back into the game, Welling made it 3-0. Stefan Payne latched onto a knockdown from inside the area and hammered a half volley into the net.

City barely had a chance to settle before the interval before the game was out of sight. Azeez completed a first-half hat-trick bundling home Payne’s header from close-range for three. 

Half-time: Welling 4-0 Oxford City 

Just after the hour mark, City were reduced to ten men. Charlie Rowan seemed to win the ball and Manny Parry with a sliding tackle. However, the referee disagreed and brandished the red card. 

The scoring was finalised when Payne added his second, heading home from a cross inside the box to make it five. 

The game petered out from there, with both teams taking their foot off the gas for the latter exchanges of the game. 

City will look to bounce back on Tuesday evening as they travel to Chippenham Town, where a win could lift the Hoops to fourth in National League South. 

Attendance: 945

Oxford City Starting XI: Dudzinski, Miccio, Ashby, Rowan, Coyle, McEachran, Lolos, Harrison, Fischer, Williams-Bushell, Carroll

Subs not used: Grantham, Iaciofano