Oxford City’s final pre-season game of the summer ended in a 1=0 defeat against Chesham United at the MGroup Stadium this afternoon.

In a competitive encounter the sides cancelled each other for much of the game before Alfie Williams popped up with a winner for the away side in the 90th minute.

Defeat doesn;t matter but at this stage of the preparations the one thing you are hoping for is no new injuries so Zac McEachran limping off after ten minutes isn’t ideal, as well as Alfie Potter played as his replacement. Chesham will have had similar concerns when centre-half Joseph Adewunmi hobbled off ten minutes later.

Those two changes seemed to subconsciously affect the flow of the game with neither side prepared to risk further issues in the first half in particular where goalmouth action became a rarity.

There were loud appeals for a penalty after the marauding Scott Pollock was bundled over but the closest we came to a goal in the first 45 minutes was a floated effort from Chesham’s Jayden Bennetts that Jonny Maxted tipped over at full stretch.

City’s midfield of Tetek, Ashby and Pollock had control of much of the game and a superb pass from Ashby allowed Dillon De Silva to deliver a perfect cross two minutes after the break, only for visiting keeper Ben Goode to make an outstanding save from a Tyrone Marsh header from six yards out.

The game finally opened up after an hour with two further Maxted saves and a decent cameo from new signing Jamie Odegah. Further encouragement saw Ellis Brown return after injury and go close with two efforts after racing clear on the left.

The clearest chance for City fell to left-back Evan Humphries but he dragged his drive wide with five minutes left,  leaving Williams to drive home in the last minute to give the visitors bragging rights.

Our thanks to Chesham and good luck for the season. Like City, good preparation, now for the real thing…

CITY

Maxted, Bloom, Humphries, Ashby, Francilette (Carroll 72), Johnson, Pollock (Taylor 68), Tetek, Marsh, McEachran (Potter 11, Ellis 68)), De Silva (Odegah 68)

SUBS
Brown, Ulas, Wilson, Carroll, Njolu, Kauan, Moir

Att: 267

Report by Chris Williams, pictures Steve Daniels