Beaconsfield 2 - City 0

Back to league action again this week, City made the short trek up the M40 to Holloway’s Park for the first time to face beleaguered Beaconsfield SYCOB. The home side had had the week from hell with the loss of their chairman and a number of their first team squad in the light of budget cuts, and all must have been wondering what effect this would have on morale.

City started well and forced three early corners while Adam Durrant on the right and Harry Burnley on the opposite flank were both putting in good runs and crosses. The first good chance fell to Justin Merritt when a neat spell of passing put him clear but with, eventually, too difficult an angle to convert the chance. Alex Stewart was working hard up front and getting in some good flicks from lofted balls, but none led to clear-cut chances.
The home side were defending solidly, leaving only one man up for much of the time, but were breaking speedily from defence when chances came their way, and Farrow twice had to be quick off his line to save from Cannon. And from one of these breaks Parsons could count himself unlucky when a good run and cross-shot rebounded off the post into the thankful arms of Lee Farrow.
At the other end City were still putting in some tidy approach work but still not really testing Bamfry, though Greg Williams was unlucky when a well-directed strike from the edge of the box clipped Harry Burnley’s heels and flew to safety.

Half Time: Beaconsfield SYCOB 0-0 City

City started strongly after the break: Burnley drew a sharp save from Bamfry, and a shot-cum-cross from Mark Jones almost deceived the keeper, but, after this, goalmouth action at either end was rather limited.
Both managers rang the changes and introduced their substitutes at intervals through the half. Rendell for City was causing the hosts problems on the left and Paget, who had replaced the hard-working Mapes, went very close from an acute angle for Beaconsfield.
The City players looked long and hard at the linesman after 75 minutes after a well-struck cross from Lee Rendell spun up and was hooked out from under the bar by a defender, but no other chances fell their way.
The Reds were still finding space to break and Farrow just smothered a good break by Cannon who was then adjudged to have been fouled by Lewis Craker on the edge of the box, and the City captain was shown a second yellow card with 10 minutes to go. Although the free-kick from this incident was dealt with easily, three minutes later the lively Riccardo Cannon found himself with that extra bit of space and crashed an excellent volley past Farrow’s left hand. To rub salt into the wound, the same player was on hand in the 86th minute to steer a cross from Parsons over the line for that decisive second goal.

Full Time: Beaconsfield SYCOB 2-0 Oxford City

City: Farrow, Lane, Williams, Avery, Craker, Takriti, Durrant (Rendell 73), Merritt, Stewart (Alleyne 59), Burnley (Keen 67), Jones.

Reporter: Chris Byrne