OCFC 0 - Andover 4

Andover have flirted with the Southern League in the past: twenty seasons through the 70s and into the 90s, and then a single unsatisfactory season in 98-9, but, as with City, they gained promotion at the end of last season as part of the latest round of reorganisation. Though not that far apart geographically the two teams had not met competitively until this season so it was their first visit to Court Place Farm. On the back of a good result last Saturday City would be looking to do the double over the Hampshire club, having won 3-1 at The Portway Stadium in September.
City certainly started in lively fashion and recent signing Gary Wickens was presented with a good chance as early as the second minute but Simon Arthur was quick off his line to deny the City man a clean shot. Harry Burnley was getting up and down the right-hand flank well, and the other City player making his home debut, Ryo Matsunaga was working hard on the other side. The Hampshire visitors were uncompromising in defence but, even so, City were beginning to produce some goalworthy moves. On fifteen minutes Matsunaga found Burnley with a well-hit pass and his low cross just eluded Anthony Alleyne on the edge of the six-yard box. Three minutes later another Burnley cross was headed powerfully, but just over the bar, by Alleyne who was having a good game both in the air and on the ground. Wickens and Burnley both fought for a loose ball in the area but to no avail, and then Mark Avery had a great chance with a header at the far post but saw his goal-bound effort saved low down by Arthur.
Two visiting defenders’ names had already been noted by the referee and on 28 minutes Andover’s captain, Matt Davis, received a second yellow after Mr Scott had discussed a tackle on Alleyne with his Assistant.
Lewis Craker nearly toe-poked home a close-range effort, and Wickens headed a fine cross from Durrant straight at Arthur, but, for the final 15 minutes of the half, Andover came more and more into the game. Wright had a strong shot tipped over by Kieron Drake and then flicked home, possibly with the aid of a deflection, Andover’s opener after 37 minutes. Jack Smith came close to adding another in the closing moments of the half but shot over.

HALF-TIME: City 0-1 Andover

The ten-men visitors defended strongly and in numbers after the interval and looked to hit City on the break. Matsunaga cut in and shot after a good run, but the shot lacked power; a Burnley cross skidded off Wickens' head and flew wide, but the closest the home side came in the opening fifteen minutes of the half to equalising was when Gary Middleton deflected a shot past his own keeper and only just past the outside of the post.
Andover, though a man down, seemed to be gaining in strength and came close to scoring when they had a string of four corners in rapid succession, but the ball was eventually scrambled clear. The writing was on the wall, though, and after 72 minutes Adam Heath cut in from the City right and drove a fine shot across Drake and high into the net. Lee Rendell was promptly brought on for Ryo Matsunaga and produced more penetration on the City left side; and, soon after, John Mitchell made a welcome return to City colours in place of Wickens. Despite committing more men to attack, however, the home side looked unlikely to reduce the arrears and Andover stretched their lead on 80 minutes when Heath ran strongly at a retreating defence and fired low into the corner. The visitors were growing in confidence, and, within a minute, a deep cross from the City left saw an unmarked Ben Wright climb to head the fourth goal past Drake.
Mark Jones, returning from injury, came on in place of Justin Merritt for the final six minutes of the match, and was promptly in the thick of things, but it was too late to have any serious chance of affecting the outcome of the match. Lewis Craker saw his header nodded out from under the bar by ex-Wallingford man Lee Chudy, but Andover held on to their clean sheet through a minimal amount of injury time.

FULL TIME: Oxford City 0-4 Andover

City: Drake, Durrant, Ford, Avery, Craker, Merritt (Jones 84), Burnley, Malone, Alleyne, Wickens (Mitchell 77), Matsunaga (Rendell 73).

Andover: Arthur, Smith (Martin 87), Puckett, Smart, Middleton, Davis, Chudy, Stowe, Wright, Heath, Asker (Swayne 62).

Reporter: ChrisB