Keeper Max Treml was the hero as Oxford City's youngsters  beat Chippenham Town on penalties in the FA Youth Cup this evening at the MGroup Stadium

Treml saved three penalties to send his team through after a hard fought 0-0 stalemate after extra time

The drama followed 90 minutes high on energy and extremely low on goalmouth excitement as the sides sparred rather than throwing punches.

Skipper Evan Took-Oxley had the best chance of the first 45 minutes but City, with several regulars missing through injury, struggled to find their rhythm and neither keeper had a shot to save in a timid opening 45 minutes.

After that both teams started to find some cohesion. Chippenham’s James Griffiths had a shot from distance although his night ended soon after when he landed on his arm and needed an ambulance to take him to hospital - we wish him well and hope the injury wasn’t as serious as it at first appeared.

Sub Michael Bampoh’s pace gave City an extra dimension but that stretched the game both ways and Chippenham started to look dangerous on the break, Max Treml making a good save from Finley Palmer and Took-Oxley having to make a good block as the visitors started to commit men forward.

Piotr Fornal was denied by a tremendous tackle by Lewis Royston as he bore down on goal after 68 minutes  but defences continued to dominate and extra time became a matter of who could hold their nerve. although a Bampoh effort in the 99th minute forced a good save to send the game into an extra half hour.

Still the two sides remained locked together although only a brilliant save from the excellent Treml early in the second period kept it at 0-0.

And so to penalties,. where Treml was the hero, saving three spot kicks to send his team jubilantly through.

What a great cup week for Oxford City

CITY

Treml, Abdi, Dix, Took-Oxley, Parker-Hunt, Heap (Barber 83), Tzengko, Stathi, Maxwell, Fornal, Green (Bampoh 46, (Price 118)

SUBS
Starkey, Harwood, Goff, Leach

ATT:  273

Report by Chris Williams