City beaten in Surrey.

Woking 2

Luker 38'

Walker 60' (pen)

Oxford City 0

Goals either side of the break consigned Oxford City to defeat away at Woking in the Vanarama National League. 

A thunderbolt in the first-half from Jayden Luker and a Lewis Walker penalty was enough for the Cardinals on a wet & windy night at the Laithwaite Community Stadium, where the Hoops couldn’t seem to find their rhythm. 

Selection

Ross Jenkins made two changes from Saturday’s defeat at Kidderminster Harriers. Harry Birtwistle was handed his senior debut and Alfie Potter also got the nod from the start. 

Renny Smith & Aaron Williams-Bushell were the unlucky two who dropped to the bench. 

First-Half

City had to weather an early storm, in both senses of the phrase. The pouring rain and howling winds didn’t make for ideal conditions in Surrey, but it was the hosts who handled the adverse weather best early on in the contest.

Marcin Brzozowski made a number of impressive saves to keep the score goalless. Firstly, palming Tunji Akinola’s effort away from goal with a smart save, and then tipping Walker’s header wide of the post inside the first 12 minutes. 

From then on in, the game became scrappy. Sloppy passes from both sides resulted in numerous turnovers in possession, and chances were few and far between. 

That was until Luker’s opener five minutes from the interval. A smart ball to the edge of the box gave the on-loan Luton man too much space to turn towards goal, and he fired a fierce shot past a helpless Brzozowski. 

The City stopper was having a great game, but could do nothing to stop that strike. 1-0. 

The hosts weren’t done there either, as they pressed for a second before the break. Furthermore, they would have found another goal if it wasn’t for some brave last-ditch defending from the Hoops. 

In additional time, a shot from Dennon Lewis came bouncing back off the post and into the path of Walker inside the area. 

He then saw his first shot brilliantly blocked on the line by Canice Carroll and his rebound palmed away by an inspired Brzozowski. City once again, navigating themselves through unrelenting pressure from their opponents. 

Half-Time: Woking 1-0 Oxford City 

Second-Half

A tough night was made even tougher at the interval when Ross Jenkins was forced to shuffle the pack a lot earlier than he would’ve liked. 

Carroll was replaced with Giles Phillips at the break, as the centre-half couldn’t shake off an earlier injury.

Alfie Potter was then replaced by Renny Smith five minutes into the second-half, as City looked to work themselves back into the contest. 

However, they were met with a hammer blow just before the hour mark, after Woking were awarded a penalty in controversial circumstances. 

Replays showed that Ricky Korboa was brought down inside the box by the slightest of touches from Andre Burley, but the referee Ryan Atkin initially let play continue. 

Atkin did eventually point to the spot, after the game continued for a considerable amount of time, to the confusion of the City players. 

Nevertheless, Walker was the coolest man in the stadium, stepping up to the spot, to send Brzozowski the wrong way and bury the penalty into the bottom-left corner to double Woking’s lead.

From then on in, it was always going to be a tough ask for City who had to haul themselves back into the contest. Although, they weren’t giving up without a fight. 

The introduction of Harvey Greenslade injected more energy into City’s attack, but he & City’s frontline couldn’t find a way past Andre Jr in the Woking goal. 

Renny Smith was first to try his luck, firing straight at the Woking stopper, before Burley sent a headed effort over the crossbar from a corner and Greenslade dragged a shot wide from the edge of the box. 

The last ten minutes weren’t as dramatic and entertaining as the 46 travelling Hoops fans were hoping for, as Woking sat on their two-goal advantage to see out the win. 

Nevertheless, Mitchell Roberts produced a superb last-ditch sliding tackle six minutes from time to stop Walker from waltzing in one v one on goal, and Josh Ashby’s shot was saved well by Andre Jr, as the game fizzled out. 

A tough night on the road, but one that the squad will learn from. Next up, there’s another big trip to Dagenham in the National League, and another chance to get back to winning ways! 

Match Details

Attendance: 1,970 (46 Oxford City)

Oxford City Starting XI: 

Brzozowski; Burley, Ashby, Kirby, Roddy, Fleet (C), Roberts, Parker (Greenslade 72'), Potter (Smith 53'), Carroll (Phillips 46'), Birtwistle

Subs not used: Coyle, Williams-Bushell

Woking XI: 

Andre Jr, Casey (C), Cuthbert, Korboa (Smith 65'), Walker, Lewis (Anderson 74'), Akinola, Kelly-Evans, Luker, Edwards (Oyeleke 82'), Dyche

Subs not used: Moss, Kendall