Oxford City went out of the FA Trophy this afternoon amid late drama at the MGroup Stadium.

Trailing to a Connor Wood goal in the first half. the last ten minutes saw an equaliser from sub Isaac Westendorf, a missed penalty from Josh Ashby and then a last minute winner from sub Ben Beresford to send Peterborough Sports through in breathless fashion.

After a record breaking run last season City fell at the first hurdle this time around despite creating enough chances to get something out of the game.

 City created the best chances in the first half with the a fierce Ashby cross pinging over the bar off the side of Josh Parker’s freshly-shaved head and an outrageous dummy from the same player setting Alfie Potter through on goal only for visiting keeper Sam Edwards to deny him.

However, after 22 even minutes the visitors took the lead with their first effort of the game, left=back Wood firing powerfully beyond young keeper Max Treml from 25 yards, spoiling the keeper’s hopes for a clean sheet on his full debut and sending the Turbines in at the break a goal to the good.

 City worked their way back into the game with Parker again firing over before the break although a series of niggly fouls upset any momentum they could build and when they did get a sight at goal the outstanding Edwards had all the answers.

Parker, the central character in the game, ran clear after another astute through ball from Ashby on 55 minutes but again found Edwards unbeatable; the keeper clutching a long-range effort from Latrell Humprey-Ewers soon after and then saving yet another one-on-one as Jacob Roddy looked odds-on to bury a bobbling ball six yards out.

The closing stages saw the game go full cup tie- sub Westendorf going down under a challenge and City throwing men forward to try and at least force the game into a penalty shoot-out

The game then turned in 90 crazy seconds. First Parker flicked on an Ashby corner and Westendorf crashed the ball home from a yard to level at 1-1. 90 seconds later Scott was brought down but Ashby fired the penalty wide.

Then, painfully, the visitors broke to the other end, a fine cross picked out Beresford and Peterborough scored with perhaps their only chance since their opening goal.

A good cup tie  but a tough defeat to take.

CITY

Treml, Roddy, Ashby, Francis, Johnson (Wilson 78), Wiggett, Parker, Scott, Potter, Clark, Humprey-Ewers (Westendorf 65)

Subs

Burroughs, Daniel, McConnell

Att: 412

Report by Chris Williams pics Darrell Fisher and Steve Daniels