Match Preview | Bedford Town v Oxford City
City stay 'local' with midweek trip to Bedford
Oxford City have one of the more local games tonight as they make the relatively short journey to Bedford Town in the Enterprise National League North.
City are coming off the back of a defeat to Southport despite the much improved performance shown by The Hoops in the second half.
The Eagles, however, are in finer form with one defeat in their last five. They also managed to claim their second win of the season against fellow-promoted side Worksop Town.
The two sides meet for the first time but will face each other again in a week and a half after the reverse fixture was brought forward. The last time the sides met, City won, back in 2012. In fact, City have won the last three meetings between the two sides.
FIXTURE DETAILS
Bedford Town v Oxford City
The Eyrie Stadium – Tuesday 21st October – 7:45pm
Enterprise National League North
Referee: Luis Griffiths Assistant Referees: Minesh Gupta & Abdul Kadir Fourth Official: Liam Botten
FORM (League Only)
BEDFORD TOWN - D D L W D
The Eagles' form is surprising if you have looked at the league table. One defeat in the last five, which came at home to Spennymoor Town, would suggest a side higher up that 20th.
It's the poor start to the season which has dragged them further down the table. The win against Worksop a couple of weeks ago was their second of the season. The first was at home to AFC Telford as 9-man Bedford won 3-1.
Bedford have kept back-to-back clean sheets with a 0-0 draw away at Radcliffe and a 2-0 win over fellow promoted side, Worksop.
OXFORD CITY - L L L D L
City were on the end of another defeat on the weekend as Southport scored minutes either side of half time. The last 30 minutes of the game saw a much improved City side, pull one back but it wasn't enough.
One point in their last five has caused City to slip into the bottom four, dangerously close to the bottom spot and a win against Bedford who they play again in a week and a half is increasingly vital for Jenkins and his side.
The draw with Chorley is still fresh in the minds of City fans and they will be desperately hoping their side can regain the quality they found during that away day in Blackpool.
ONE TO WATCH - Tyrone Marsh
In June 2025, Marsh signed for his hometown club Bedford Town, which had just been promoted and were looking to bolster their squad.
He made an immediate impact: scoring twice in his first outing for Bedford Town, a 2‑2 draw versus Alfreton Town, with one of his goals a curling free‑kick and the other a late equaliser.
So far this season, Marsh sits atop the scoring charts with 9 goals in 11 games, scoring well over half of the side's goals.
Marsh signed his first professional contract with Oxford United ahead of the 2012‑13 season. During his time there, he made 7 senior league appearances but did not score in league play.
Marsh joined Ebbsfleet United in 2014. However, his goal output there was limited (14 appearances, 0 league goals) according to one source.
Next, he moved to Torquay United in 2015/16 where his scoring improved: 18 appearances, 7 goals.
In 2017, Marsh signed for Macclesfield Town. He played 66 league games and scored 11 goals. Importantly, he was part of the Macclesfield team that won the National League in the 2017‑18 season.
Marsh joined Boreham Wood in July 2019. He made 36 appearances in 2019‑20 scoring 14 goals.
In 2020, he moved up to Stevenage (League Two) but had less impact (10 appearances, 0 goals) according to one record.
He returned to Boreham Wood in February 2021 and continued there through to 2025. His tally and experience at that club were solid: 45 goals in 186 appearances at National League level according to Bedford Town FC’s announcement.
THE MANAGER - Lee Bircham
Before Bedford Town, Bircham built his reputation in the non‑league game, laying the foundations of his managerial style. He began his transition from player to manager at Bovingdon F.C., where he helped lead them to their first ever Hertfordshire Senior County League title.
He moved on to manage Berkhamsted F.C. at a higher level, and the club was performing strongly and topped their division when the season was curtailed due to COVID‑19.
His next stop was Hemel Hempstead Town F.C. (his home‑town club). He took over in difficult circumstances during the COVID‑19 impacted seasons and steered them to safety in the league.
In the 2021‑22 season, after he took over mid‑season, he guided Leighton to win the Bedfordshire Senior Cup, defeating Bedford Town in the final.
In the 2022‑23 season, he led Leighton to the Spartan South Midlands Premier Division title and the league‑cup double.
Bircham was officially appointed manager of Bedford Town in May 2023.
The club had just been relegated to the Southern League Division One Central and were in need of a rebuild and revival.
In his first season (2023‑24), Bircham guided Bedford Town to promotion via the play‑offs from the Southern League Division One Central back to the Premier Division Central.
In the following season (2024‑25), despite major handicaps (very low budget, inability to play home games initially due to pitch issues, limited training) he led the club to become champions of the Southern League Premier Division Central and achieved back‑to‑back promotions up to the National League North. Bircham himself described it as a “non‑league miracle”.
His contract with the club was extended through to summer 2027, indicating the board’s faith in him.
From the club’s perspective, the achievement was remarkable: they’d gone from relegation and low morale to back‑to‑back promotions in two seasons.
HOW TO FOLLOW
FOLLOW THE ACTION:
As per usual, we will be following the game via our Social Channels, including our new WhatsApp Channel where you can read minute-by-minute action as the LIVE event occurs! You can sign up for free HERE.
There's also LIVE commentary on BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website.
