Bracknell 1 - OCFC 2

Yes...as the Radio Oxford reporter said, it was a Christmas cracker for City today--given the very heavy pitch which made it difficult to play with any fluency, it must count as one of our best performances of the season so far. It was an entertaining with chances enough at both ends to finish 5-5, but City probably deserved to win as they created the better openings and finished the stronger.

I can't emulate Chris B's excellent 'View from the terraces' but as he was at the Nomads match I'll give a brief summary of this one. City started brightly and Adam Durrant's fine through ball gave Ray Spence a chance in the second minute, but he didn't get quite enough on it and the keeper made a good diving save. At the other end a Bracknell striker beat the offside and placed the ball wide of Lee Farrow and the far post, before they hit the other post with a free kick. City came under some pressure, weathered it, and seemed about to replace Lee Rendell (cut head) with Harry Burnley when they took off Adam Durrant instead. Adam had been playing well so I suppose he'd injured himself somehow. But within a short time of Harry coming on, we won a corner and LEWIS CRAKER powered home a header into the bottom corner. Billy Beechers might have extended our lead after a fine run and shot from a narrow angle, and we had a big shout for a penalty (handball) turned down, but we lived a little dangerously at the other end at times and were quite pleased to be still in front at half time.

Half time: BRACKNELL TOWN 0, OXFORD CITY 1

Within a minute of the restart the City lead was doubled when BILLY BEECHERS met a loose ball just outside the area and crashed home a superb shot to the bottom right corner. But two minutes later some slightly sloppy play on the City right resulted in a cross into the box which MARK ANDERSON was able to slot home.

For a while it looked as if Bracknell would come back from 0-2 down for the second week running to get a draw and preserve their unbeaten home record, especially when they got the ball in the back of the City net. But the ref (a Miss Chapman who I thought did a good job overall--she certainly cleaned up the language on the pitch!) had already blown for a foul on Lee Farrow, who soon afterwards was in action again saving at his near post.

As the game wore on Bracknell threatened less and City created several good chances on the break, from one of which it looked as Liam Malone, on for Anthony Alleyne who had run himself into the ground all afternoon, put the ball just wide. Their keeper made two good saves from Beechers, who seemed to be getting stronger by the minute. In the end he was on his own up front, as Ray Spence was replaced by Gavin Lane, to secure the points. For me, Ray was a bit disappointing today. The pitch would not have suited him but he seemed to give up a little too easily at times.

The rest of the team, though, gave 100%. Jonah was tireless, Justin, Crakes and Mark Avery very solid, and Omar just gets better each month--he never panics. But if two stood out today they were Lee Rendell and Billy Beechers. Let's hope he doesn't have to go back to United for a while yet.

Reporter: RIJS