ROSS JENKINS | WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED

Aaron Evans • April 28, 2023

Oxford City boss Ross Jenkins insists his side must not overlook Saturday’s final match of the season as City travel to Bath City in a final Vanarama National League South outing before the play-offs.

An impressive campaign has seen the Hoops secure another play off finish in a season where they have played some of their best football in recent years.


However, Jenkins is adamant that his side must retain a competitive mindset against a Bath side looking to impress on home turf on the final day of the league season.


“It has definitely flown by but in the right manner” Jenkins said.


“We’ve put in some really good performances since Eastbourne, and it feels good at the moment but Bath are going to be a really difficult team to play against.


“They’ve got loads of strengths that we need to be careful of, but I wouldn’t say they’re on their holidays because that’s sort of a curse as I think they’d always want to finish the season strongly at home being in front of their fans, so we have to be prepared for a fully fit team in Bath.”


Jenkins added, “It’s dangerous to say that they’ve got nothing to play for. We’ve learnt that in the past every club and every team has something to play for whether it’s the end of the season or not.”


The past two encounters between the two sides have been undeniably entertaining with the two sides drawing 3-3 on the last two occasions.


However, the City boss acknowledged the factors that he felt swayed the result in the reverse fixture against The Romans.


“We played Bath earlier in the season here and I thought we were brilliant”


Jenkins said. “I thought the referee killed us with a penalty decision which I think sort of swayed the game and that gave them the chance. But up until that point, up until the referee made that error, I thought we were in control, we were dominant and that’s something we want to replicate again this time around.”


The Hoops were in a similar position against Bath at the end of last season where they had already secured a play off place before their meeting at Twerton Park on the final day.


Jenkins is hoping that his side won’t get complacent like before.


“I think when we played them here we were really good up until that decision. I thought last season we were 3-1 up, again I think that our position was pretty much cemented, and we may have just taken our foot off the gas a little bit in that game.


“I think maybe we were thinking about the next game rather than getting the job done and that certainly won’t be the case on Saturday.”


City have had a remarkable season in their own right which will culminate in a highest points tally accumulated in a season for the Oxfordshire outfit.


The Hoops boss expressed the significance of the achievement.


“Saturday’s an important game for us and obviously to try and finish on as many points as possible is the objective and I think it’ll be our highest points finish” the Hoops boss remarked.


“Again, that’s a big achievement for the football club, the players, the staff, myself and everyone associated with the club.


“So, we’ve got to make sure that we don’t rely on that to get through, we’ve got to keep going and kicking on. We’ve got plenty more in the tank, we’re still fit, we’re ready to go and we’ve got to show that on Saturday.”

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