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Road to the Playoffs: Oxford City 

The Hoops claimed a 2021/22 play-off position back in late April after grabbing a point in a 1-1 draw against Braintree Town with four games to spare but Ross Jenkins' side only knew that of their opponents after Saturday's 3-3 draw with Bath.

City’s league record and position has been thanks to a well-drilled defence. The Hoops boast the third strongest defence in the Vanarama National League South, sitting behind champions Maidstone United and Dartford with only 46 goals conceded.

Going into the men’s playoff eliminator, the boys in blue and white have taken eight points from a possible twelve with no defeats in their previous four VNLS fixtures. The season was capped off with a six-goal thriller against Jerry Gills’s Bath City, a match which saw Zac McEachran score a wonder goal, adding to his extensive 2021/22 highlight reel.

Road to the Playoffs: Eastbourne Borough

City’s opponents are in their first play-off campaign since 2009 and like City secured their place in the end of season knockout prematurely.

Despite claiming a top seven spot, Eastbourne have endured a rough run of results in the latter end of the season. Danny Bloor’s side were hit with four defeats in their four remaining matches, including losses to relegated Billericay Town, Tonbridge but most notably conceding seven at home to Dartford in the final game of the season. However, the Sports have been without three key players for their final three games after they received 3 red cards in their defeat to Havant & Waterlooville.

Charley Kendall has been a diamond in the rough for Eastbourne this campaign, becoming a prolific outlet in front of goal. The striker's prolific form secured a move to EFL side Lincoln City in January where he will return after the play-offs are completed.

This record was doubled by the end of the season as he found the net 25 times in 40 games, scoring over a third of Eastbourne’s goals in the VNLS.

Head-to-head

Eastbourne Borough have taken four points from their clashes with Oxford City this season, most recently grabbing three in a 0-2 victory at the Velocity stadium, courtesy of a Kendall double before halftime. This extended Eastbourne’s unbeaten run against City to six which dates back to April 2018.