OCFC 4 - Windsor & Eton 2

With steady rain falling there was always going to be a question-mark over whether the match would be able to run the full ninety minutes, but, apart from the goalmouth at the clubhouse end, the pitch played remarkably well. Windsor & Eton had only lost twice on their travels and were above City with three games in hand, whilst City had not won at home since the first day of the New Year. So, to any neutral observer on such an unwelcoming night, an away win might have been the most likely outcome. However ...
City were quick off the mark and looked determined to play a passing game despite the conditions and only six minutes had passed when Liam Malone won the ball well near the centre spot and pushed forward before releasing Adam Durrant on the right side. He delivered a perfect cross and debutant Kevin Chakodoza, signed earlier in the day from Hemel Hempstead, rose well above the defence to head powerfully past Mazurek.
City were having the better of the play in the first thirty minutes: Chakodoza broke well down the right and into the box, but his cross was underhit and cleared; a Mark Jones free-kick was put just the wrong side of the post by Justin Merritt sliding in; and the best move of the half saw Jon Mitchell head a curling cross from Lee Rendell just high. A header by Will Dunlop from a corner went close, but the nearest the visitors went to scoring in the first half was when Ricci Dolan’s splendid curling free-kick eluded the defensive wall and was just parried onto the bar by Kieron Drake and caught at the second attempt.
City continued to make chances but final passes went astray until, on 38 minutes, a well flighted free-kick from Mark Jones was met by the head of Gavin Lane and the ball flew into the net off the underside of the bar.

HALF-TIME City 2-0 Windsor & Eton

The Royalists started the second period strongly and almost immediately a good run at a retreating defence into the area by Dolan saw his shot flash just past the far post. On 55 minutes a free-kick was conceded wide on the City left and James Edgerley’s delivery was inch-perfect, eluding all the heads and Kieron Drake’s hands to nestle neatly in the far corner. The visitors were having the better of the play now, although a fine run and cross from Anthony Alleyne, on for Jon Mitchell, skidded past the defence and Mark Jones arriving at the far post. Ben Porter had a good shot well held by Drake, and a long-range effort from Edgerley was not far from Drake’s left-hand post, before the visitors levelled the scores. Another free-kick was awarded not far short of the penalty area and this time there was nothing that Drake could do as Dolan’s carbon-copy shot was, this time, over the wall and past the keeper to make it all-square after 77 minutes.
The Royalists’ confidence was high and it looked as though they may go on from here to take all the points as another shot from Ben Porter went tantalisingly close, but City were showing considerable determination and lifted their game. Alleyne was caught marginally offside as he broke through and lined up his shot; and then a good run and pull-back by Lee Rendell saw Mazurek bring off an excellent save with his legs as Alex Stewart got in a shot from close in. From the resultant corner Justin Merritt in a crowd of players bundled the ball home, amid suspicions of handball, to regain the lead with five minutes remaining.
The visitors pushed forward again to try to reclaim a share of the spoils but the City defence held firm and, indeed, still made a couple of chances of their own.
The match was finally put beyond doubt two minutes into injury time (by my watch anyway!!) when a good cross-field ball allowed Rendell to get forward down the left and his accurate pass found Alex Stewart waiting just inside the box with time to control the ball and place his shot across Mazurek and just inside the far post.
Tanfield went close to scoring a third for the Royalists but City survived the six minutes of added time and notched a very welcome home win.

FULL-TIME Oxford City 4-2 Windsor & Eton

City: Drake, Lane, Rendell, Avery, Craker, Merritt, Jones, Malone, Mitchell (Alleyne 56), Chakodoza (Stewart 77), Durrant.
Windsor & Eton: Mazurek, Burgess, Furmage (Tilbury 11), Cooper, Dunlop (Cahill 71), McIntosh, Dolan, Edgerley, Case (Tanfield 77), Porter, Seedel.

So a hard-earned win sees City climb five places up the table to tenth, showing again how few points span the gap between play-off places and relegation uncertainty.