OCFC 1-1 Hanwell

This afternoon, against bottom-placed Hanwell Town, City looked to bounce back from last week’s dampener, but in the end had to be satisfied with a single point from a game that seemed rather disjointed for much of the time.

City set off at a good pace delivering early crosses into the box: Ray Spence was looking lively; Danny Keen was getting forward regularly from his deeper position and Alex Stewart drove just over Pratt’s bar. For the visitors Sroka broke well and tested Lee Farrow, and Chris Mills got behind the defence but fired across the City goal.
For City Mark Jones went very close to the post when given room to run and line up his shot, whilst an untimely bobble made Ray Spence miskick when past his marker. He then was very close to picking out Harry Burnley on the far post with a neat flicked pass.
Having weathered the initial pressure Hanwell pushed up further and in the space of four minutes Dean Thomas got away three strong shots from good positions: all passed close to bar or post.
Adam Durrant put in several good crosses from deep and Mark Jones almost finished from one, but his shot in a crowded area was blocked by a defender.
As the half drew to a close Mills had a flicked header well saved by Farrow and was then denied, when in on goal, by a well-timed tackle from Omar Takriti.

HALF-TIME: City 1-1 Hanwell Town

Victor Osubu came on in place of Sroka for the visitors at half-time and his pace caused City more than a few concerns. Danny Keen was close to getting a clear header from a well placed Mark Jones cross just before Christian Metcalfe gave Hanwell the lead in the 57th minute. Not for the first time this season it seems, City were on the receiving end of a well-hit shot from distance that just dipped over the keeper. Lee Farrow grasped the ball at the second attempt but the linesman was well positioned to flag that the ball had crossed the line. Chris Mills almost added another four minutes later but shot just high.
Billy Beechers came on for his home debut and the Blues pressed forward to try to redress the balance, but it looked as though luck was going to be against them when Hanwell safely negotiated four corners in rapid succession and then saw a Beechers shot taken just wide of an upright by a defender's deflection. Then, with time up on my watch, a clumsy foul on the edge of the Hanwell box saw three City players lining up over the ball for the free kick and Alex Stewart winning the discussion and stepping up to fire an unstoppable shot past the stationary keeper.
Into injury time and City almost pulled out an unlikely winner as Anthony Alleyne broke clear and his cross just eluded Lee Rendell sliding in.

FULL-TIME: City 1-1 Hanwell Town

Oxford City: Farrow, Durrant, Steedman, Avery, Takriti, Jones, Keen (Beechers 65), Malone (Alleyne 76), Stewart, Spence, Burnley (Rendell 74).
Hanwell Town: Pratt, Rowlands, Hiller, Stevens, Harper, Richardson (Joseph 81), Mills, Thomas, Baverstock, Metcalfe, Sroka (Osubu 45)