Oxford City's unbeaten pre-season ended when two late goals gave Walton and Hersham a 2-1 win at the MGroup Stadium this afternoon.

 Leading through a Tyrone Marsh strike at the break, City had chances to make the game safe but goals from Matas Skarna and sub Junior Dixon gave the newly-promoted visitors a confidence boosting win.

Having won their three previous games City looked full of confidence with plenty of neat passing and an early drive from the energetic Alfie Potter drawing the first save on a sweltering summer afternoon.

Potter then got into similar range and drew a good save with a rising drive on 24 minutes that produced a corner,and subsequently the opening goal.

Look out for it this season: Ashby’s precise set pieces and Marsh’s knack of finding space will be a dangerous combination for City and the two combined well for the opener with Marsh heading Ashby’s corner home with ease.

Walton and Hersham saw little of the ball in a one sided first half where Dejan Tetek, Ashby and Scott Pollock ran the show in midfield A shot from winger David Rogalski five minutes before the break drew Jonny Maxted into the game fro the first time- the former Brackley keeper making a good save from the resulting corner as well.

Defensively, City looked solid with giant centre-half Ludwig Francilette finding time to venture forward and head two second half chances just over the bar, and Pollock going clode from the edge of the box after another flowing move.

The ever-excellent Ashby fired into the side netting just after the hour mark but then strange things happened with twenty minutes to go. City made seven changes in one go and within ten seconds, while everyone was wirking out their new roles, the visitors took advantage to draw eleve; when winger Skarna drove home from the edge of the box.

Once re-settled, City regained the uintiative with Matty Taylor freeing Kauan only for the Brazilian teenager’s first touch to fly over the bar and hit the (under renovation) clubhouse.. That proved costly when, with ten minutes left, Maxted spilt a bobbling shot and Dixon stabbed home the rebound.

 Results are largely irrelevant at this stage  and City's first hour was impressive. A loss perhaps does no harm -there are perhaps places to be decided before the season actually kicks off..

Our thanks to Walton and Hersham and good luck for the season.

CITY
Maxted, Bloom (Wilson 71), Humphries (Ulas 71), Ashby, Francilette (Moir 71) , Johnson, Marsh (Taylor 71), Potter (McEachran 60) , Tetek (Njogu 71), De Silva (Daniel 71)

Att: 307

Report by Chris Williams, picture Steve Daniels