November 8, 2025
Today’s Saturday afternoon entertainment was the National League North fixture between Oxford City and Worksop Town in a meeting of 23rd vs 16th. The two sides had never previously played against each other.
Oxford City Update
These diaries last reported on Oxford City at the end of August when they suffered a 1-5 thrashing at hands of Radcliffe at Court Place Farm, which left The Hoops third from bottom in the table.
City immediately bounced back by hammering Alfreton Town 5-0 but then embarked on a run of just two draws and seven losses in their next 9 matches in all competitions, including an embarrassing exit in the FA Cup at step 4 Westbury United, losing 2-3 after leading 2-0. All of the defeats had been by single goal margins, with a pattern of Oxford City playing well, missing their chances, and giving away soft goals.
The rot was stopped on Tuesday night with a convincing 3-0 home win over Hereford United, but they still remained second from bottom.
Oxford City’s average attendance this season was 659 and midfielder Tom Scott was the leading goalscorer with 5 goals. Captain Josh Ashby had scored in each of the last three matches.
City had brought in three new recruits since the start of September, with the return of former player Ewan Clark, who left The Hoops to join Bristol City but had since moved on to Bath City. Full-back Geneiro Maragh signed after being released by Reading, and centre-back Chris Francis was recruited after leaving Crystal Palace. Francis had played on loan at Dagenham and Redbridge last season.
Worksop Town FC
Worksop is a market town in Nottinghamshire, close to the border with South Yorkshire and Derbyshire. It has a population of around 45,000 and famous people born in the town include golfer Lee Westwood, Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson, actor Donald Pleasance and England football manager Graham Taylor.
Its football club were founded in 1861 and the club badge shows this year, but Wikipedia reports the date is disputed, with football first being reported as being played in Worksop in 1875 !
Worksop play at Sandy Lane, which has an official capacity of 2,000 and 327 seats. Their nickname is The Tigers and the home colours are yellow and black stripes.
After the non-pyramid was introduced, Worksop played either in Conference North or the Northern Premier League Premier Division. Chris Waddle played for two seasons at the tail-end of his career.
Financial difficulties led the club to opt to voluntarily drop down to the step 5 North-East Counties League Premier Division in 2014. Promotion to step 4 was achieved at the end of 2018/19 after winning the NECL Premier Division, and the NPL Division One East title was secured in 2022/23.
Last season Worksop won promotion to National League North via the play-offs after finishing second in the NPL Premier Division, beating both Ashton United and Guiseley 2-1.
Worksop Squad
Captain and centre-back Hamza Bencherif was an Algerian Under 20 international and had a long career in the Football League, playing for Lincoln City, Macclesfield, Notts County, Halifax and Wrexham but is now 37 years old.
Attacking midfielder Liam Hughes spent 7 years at Cambridge United and played in the SPL for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, before playing for a number of non-league sides, including Barrow, Darlington and Bradford Park Avenue.
Forward Aaron Martin had played for Harrogate and Gateshead, striker Jordan Burrow played in the Football League for Morecambe before moving on to Stevenage Borough, Halifax, Gateshead and York City, and Irish defender Mason O’Malley played for Scunthorpe United when they were in League Two.
Playmaker Joe Leesley numbers Harrogate, Stevenage, Stockport County, Boston United and Kidderminster Harriers among his former clubs, midfielder Aleksandrs Starčenko is Latvian and defender Luke Waterfall had played for Scunthorpe, Macclesfield, Mansfield Town, Wrexham, Lincoln City, Shrewsbury Town, Grimsby and Hartlepool.
Winger Louis Whitham joined from Guiseley, keeper Tommy Taylor is ex-Buxton, Scarborough and Darlington, and defender Bailey Gooda was previously at Scarborough. Reserve keeper Luke Chadwick is not the former Manchester United midfielder !
Worksop This Season
Worksop came into today’s game with a 5-3-8 record and were 2-0-6 away from home. The away wins came at lowly Peterborough Sports ( 1-0 ) and perhaps unexpectedly at league leaders AFC Fylde ( 3-2 ). The home wins were over Southport ( 2-0 ), Chester ( 2-1 ) and Scarborough Athletic ( 1-0 ). Last time out they were battered 1-5 at Darlington.
Like Oxford City, Worksop exited the FA Cup at the first hurdle, being eliminated at step 3 Harborough Town 2-3.
The average attendance for their three home games was 798, with the highest being 1,032 for the visit of Chester.
Hughes was the top scorer with 7 goals, ahead of Martin on 6 and Burrow on 4. Leesley had 5 assists.
Matchday Information
According to AA Route Planner, the journey from Worksop is 138 miles down the M1 and M40 and should normally take around 2 and a half hours. It looked like around 30-40 Tigers fans had made the journey, and a Supporters Coach was parked in the car park.
Tickets for today’s game were £13 for adults online and £16 at the turnstile. There were a whole range of reductions depending on ages, from seniors to children. An online programme was available and a cup of tea cost £2.50.
The weather at the 15.00 kick-off was dry with blue skies and the temperature was around 13 degrees.
Bet365 made Oxford City 6/5 favourites, with Worksop at 17/10 and the draw 12/5.
Worksop were playing in their usual kit of yellow and black striped shirts, with black shorts and yellow socks. Oxford City were in their traditional blue and white hoops.
Worksop made four changes from the side that was routed at Darlington, with the return of Bencherif at centre-back alongside Dylan Cogill, Deegan Atherton was at right-back and Chae Whitman-Brown was on the right-wing. Waterfall, Gooda and Regan Hutchinson all dropped to the bench, and Hughes was missing altogether. Chatting with one of the Worksop coaching staff before kick-off and asking if they were optimistic for today, he stated “It depends on which Worksop turns up !”
Oxford City made two changes to the side that beat Hereford Isaace Westendorf and Alfie Potter replacing Josh Parker and Ewan Clark.
Matchday Report
The impeccably observed Remembrance Ceremony was slightly unusual in that the playing of The Last Post was part of the two-minute silence, rather than the two minutes starting at the end of the music.
Worksop immediately attacked from the kick-off, and two long throws from Leesley needed to be headed away. From the second, Potter started a counter-attack and fed left-back Maragh, who was up in support, and then played a pass down the left-hand channel for Westendorf to run onto. Although looking suspiciously offside, Westendorf ran into the Worksop area, drew the keeper and played a square pass for Jacob Roddy to side-foot into the empty goal. It was 1-0 after 62 seconds !
Two minutes later Roddy played a cute flick over the Worksop backline for Westendorf, but Bencherif was covering and put the ball out for a corner. After a bout of head tennis Worksop cleared and broke, but a poor cross should have been meat-and-drink for Hoops keeper Sam Lewis, but Aston Villa youngster inexplicably dropped it but quickly recovered.
Worksop won two more throw-ins close to the Oxford City area, and from the second Leesley sent a low cross bouncing towards the near post which Lewis claimed.
For the home side, Scott played a one-two with Westendorf on the edge of the Worksop area, but blasted the return narrowly wide.
Whitham did well on the left get a cross in, which Charlie Wiggett headed away but Whitham picked up the loose ball to cross again, and Burrows backwards header drifted just wide of the post, with Lewis motionlessly watching on. The action seemed to be in slow motion, as if played had stopped, but a goal-kick was the decision.
The game was end to end, and Maragh’s attempt to release Westendorf was stopped by a vital interception by Bencherif. Maragh regained possession and chipped into the Worksop area for Potter to head on, but keeper Taylor clutched the ball before it could reach Roddy.
The Hoops enjoyed a two-minute spell of possession, nicely passing the ball around in their own half without making any progress, and eventually sent the ball long to give possession to Worksop. The visitors continued to launch long throws and free-kicks into the Oxford City area, all of which were well defended.
A free-kick from Leesley was unconvincingly headed by Wiggett under pressure, leading to a scramble, but City eventually cleared.
The first yellow card of the game was shown in the 22nd minutes. Leesley played a terrible cross-field pass along the half-way line which Scott intercepted, and then flicked over the head of Cogill. With the City midfielder about to run clear, Cogill brought him down.
Two minutes later Worksop had their first shot on target. Whitham’s cross was cleared only as far as Atherton, but the 20-yard first-time volley was caught by Lewis under his crossbar.
In the 25th minute, a 30-yard fizzer from Hoops captain Ashby produced a diving save from Taylor, pushing the bouncing ball around the post for a corner. Ashby took the set-piece and keeper Taylor was less impressive this time, his poor punch under pressure going backwards, but over his own bar. Roddy went down theatrically at the far post from the next corner but the referee was unimpressed and play continued.
A clash off heads between Ashby and Starčenko resulted in a free-kick to Oxford City in a central position mid-way inside the Worksop half. With Ashby off the field receiving treatment, Scott took the free-kick, but George Burroughs was just unable to get on the end of it and the ball went off for a goal-kick.
With 30 minutes on the clock, Scott passed forward to Westendorf, who took advantage of a slip by Bencherif to run into the Tigers penalty area and then threaded a pass back to the on-running Scott, who struck the post from close range.
Worksop continued to pump balls into the Oxford City area but Lewis did well to punch away a corner under pressure close to his line.
Another flowing move from The Hoops saw Maragh pass to Westendorf who released Scott down the left-hand channel, but his attempted cross was blocked for a corner, which Taylor punched away.
Worksop were forced into an early substitution as Burrow had to leave the field with an injury, and Martin took his place. The substitute nearly had an instant impact but after a free-kick was awarded for a high foot just outside the Oxford City area, Leesley’s left-footed delivery was headed over the bar at the back post by Martin.
Oxford City probably deserved their one goal lead at the interval as they had played some inventive passing football, had hit the post, and defended well against the aerial bombardment.
The floodlight were switched on at half-time and Worksop took the game to the home side in the second half. However, although they dominated possession and pressed for most of the half, they floundered against some solid defending, and didn’t seem to have the necessary guile or creativity to make a breakthrough.
Leesley continued to be the main source of their play, taking all the throws, corners and free-kicks, but Oxford City keeper Lewis wasn’t unduly troubled.
Bencherif headed a long throw straight at the keeper for an easy catch, Martin headed a cross high over the bar, and Vaughan Redford went down far too easily when challenged for a cross towards the penalty spot.
Oxford City occasionally threatened on the counter. Westendorf outmuscled Cogill to put Maragh into space, but the cross towards the far post was put out for a corner before Roddy could pounce. Ashby’s corner bounced across the penalty area, and Roddy turned and shot over the bar, but the referee had spotted a foul by an Oxford City player.
Another long throw into the Oxford City area was headed on by Bencherif, and after Ashby headed away from the Oxford City goal, Cogill’s returned header was an easy save for Lewis.
With Worksop now dominating possession and running the midfield, it was a little surprising that Oxford City didn’t make any changes to turn the tide, and nearly paid the penalty but Martin was unable to control Leesley’s ball into the mixer, and City cleared at the expense of a corner. It was Worksop’s best chance of the game so far.
Another Leesley delivery from a free-kick bounced across the danger zone with no Worksop attacker prepared to gamble.
With 74 minutes played, Leesley’ ball into the Oxford City area was met by a glancing header from Cogill, but the contact was not strong enough, and the ball bounced a yard or two wide of the post.
A rare attack from the home side saw Ashby release Scott, whose fierce drive from a tight angle was pushed away by keeper Taylor, and there were appeals for a penalty when a City player went down trying to get to the rebound, but again the referee wasn’t giving anything.
With 10 minutes remaining, Whitham shot into the side netting from a tight angle when he might have been better off crossing, and a minute later Whitham-Brown sent a dangerous looking ball from the right towards the far post, where Burroughs did well to put the ball out for a corner under pressure from Whitham.
Worksop continued to lump balls into the Oxford City area, and Wiggett made another good defensive header to put the ball out for a corner.
Almost predictably, after totally dominating the second half but creating very little, Worksop conceded a second goal just before the end. Scott showed good energy to run onto a through pass from Josh Parker down the right-hand channel, and looking up saw Westendorf unmarked at the far post, and played an inch perfect low ball across the 6 yard line for a tap-in. 2-0 with 87 minutes played.
The game’s comedy moment occurred shortly after. Westendorf went down inside the Worksop half with what appeared to be cramp. Although Roddy gave him some help, the referee repeatedly signalled to the Oxford City bench for the trainer to come on, but no-one entered the field off play to treat Westendorf. Eventually the referee ran out of patience and strode over to the Oxford City bench and brandished a yellow card, presumably to manager Ross Jenkins, for time-wasting ?
Five additional minutes were to be played, and Worksop fashioned two more half-chances. Vaughan sent a long-range effort curling wide and Martin headed weakly at Lewis. At the other end, a quick break saw Roddy’s cross headed away by Cogill before Scott could head home.
The game ended as most of the second half had been played, with two more hopeful crosses ending up in the hands of Lewis.
At the final whistle, Oxford City took the three points to move out of the bottom four, whilst Worksop slipped one place to 17th.
Oxford City would be encouraged by a second home win in a row, with two clean sheets. Their defence looked to be much improved with the addition of Francis and Maragh, and comfortably dealt with everything Leesley threw at them, although there could be concerns about how they were unable to stem the tide in the second period, and didn’t make any changes in midfield.
Worksop looked like a solid mid-table side, but will be questioning how they created so few chances in the second half despite nearly all of the possession, and might be seeking how to be less reliant on Leesley.
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE85u_t_tWk
Oxford City : Lewis - Burroughs, Wiggett, Francis, Maragh ( Johnson ) - Roddy, Ashby, Humphrey-Ewers, Scott, Potter ( Parker ) - Westendorf
Worksop Town : Taylor – Atherton ( Hutchinson ), Bencherif, Cogill, O’Malley – Whitham-Brown, Redford, Leesley, Starčenko – Burrow ( Martin ), Whitham
