March 4, 2023
After these diaries covered Oxford City’s home draw with Dulwich Hamlet in early December they lay in 8th place in National League One South. Following a 1-3 home defeat to Slough Town on Boxing Day The Hoops have been unbeaten in 2023, with 6 wins and 4 draws, a run which has seen them rise to third place in the table. Last time out they achieved a creditable 0-0 draw at second placed Dartford to re-enforce their play-off credentials.
Today’s visitors, Farnborough FC, were promoted from the Southern League Premier Division South last season. After finishing third in the regular season, play-off wins over Metropolitan Police and Hayes and Yeading saw them return to the 6th level of English football.
Farnborough hit the national headlines in 2002/3 when a successful FA Cup run under Graham Westley saw them drawn against Arsenal in the 4th round, and after controversially switching the tie to Highbury they predictably lost 1-5.
In 2006/07 Farnborough went into liquidation and were expelled from the Football Conference and relegated to the Isthmian league Division One. The club were able to rise back to Conference South by winning the 2009/10 Southern League Premier Division, but more financial troubles led to relegation at the end of 2014/15.
I have visited Farnborough’s Cherrywood Road ground on one occasion, watching Farnborough against Oxford City in January 2009 in the Southern League Premier Division. At the time Boro were 8 points clear at the top of the division whereas Oxford City were mid-table in their first season at Step 3. However, goals from ex-Ireland international Dave Savage and ex-Oxford United winger Jamie Brooks, and a scintillating performance from on-loan Oxford United teenage forward Alex Fisher gave City an unexpected, but deserved 2-0 victory watched by a crowd of 713. Farnborough’s squad that season included ex-Crystal Palace, Torquay, Oxford United and Crawley centre-back David Woozley, ex-Cambridge United, Lincoln, Hartlepool and Crawley forward Marcus Richardson and profilic non-league striker Jean-Michel Sigere.
City then went on a good run to finish 6th, 3 points off a play-off position whilst Boro were pipped by Corby to the Championship and automatic promotion, and then lost to Gloucester City in the play-off final.
In early December Farnborough were in 15th place, but like Oxford City they have been in good form in 2023, at one point winning 6 league games out of 7, but are currently on a run of two games without a win to slip back to 11th place. However, their last match was a 2-2 draw at home to league leaders Ebbsfleet United.
Notable players for Farnborough this season include ex-Norwich, Hamilton, Crawley and Hartlepool forward Mason Bloomfield, who has scored 6 times in 6 appearances, left-back Jordan Norville-Williams started his career at Cambridge United, and winger Ricky Holmes made over 300 football league appearances for Sheffield United, Charlton, Oxford United, Portsmouth and Northampton amongst others.
Full-back Freddie Grant had a loan spell at Oxford City whilst with Oxford United, striker Harry Parsons is on loan from Swindon Town, and midfielder Ronan Silva was released by Crawley at the beginning of February.
The weather at the 15.00 kick-off time was cloudy and 6 degrees. Bet365 made Oxford City 11/10 favourites, with Farnborough at 2/1 and the draw at 9/4.
Tickets for the game were £13 if purchased online or £15 at the gate. For over 65s it was £8 or £10 respectively whilst it was free for students and under 18s. The match-day programme was £3, compared to £2.50 for Farnborough’s back in 2009 !
The City line-up today included Bosnian Under 21 keeper Adnan Kanuric, who was signed on loan from Nottingham Forest when regular keeper Ben Dudzinski moved to Dartford, and top scorer Josh Parker was missing through suspension. On the bench awaiting debuts were defender Joe Wilson from Ilkeston Town and winger Will Dawes on loan from Yeovil, both were signed during the week.
Farnborough were playing in yellow shirts and blue shorts and they started strongly, and one of their key weapons soon became obvious. In the second minute a long throw from the right was launched in the City 6 yard box by Ollie Robinson but was dealt with, but a throw from the left two minutes later caused a lot more havoc. Robinson’s delivery was flicked on with keeper Kanuric diving to push away. The ball reached Norville-Williams 10 yards from goal and his left-footed attempt was played into the ground and looped over the prone keeper, but Canice Carroll was by the post on the goal-line to head away for a corner.
Boro kept the pressure up as the home side struggled to both get out of their own half, and deal with the aerial bombardment from Robinson, who is not to be confused with the England bowler of the same name. The cricketing theme continued though with Abdul Kadir as one of the linesmen !
Boro’s Reggie Young made a threatening run towards the City penalty area but was thwarted by a good tackle. The ball was reworked to Saied but his shot was straight at Kanuric and easily saved. Boro continued their route one tactics and another long throw was flicked on by Grant at the near post, but a last ditch clearance averted the danger. Striker Parsons fell to the floor when challenged by Carroll but the appeals for a penalty were ignored by the referee.
The Hoops eventually managed to get the ball up the other end. Boro defenders Kevin Lokko and Norville-Williams both failed to cut-out Coyle’s cross-field ball and Lolos got to the right by-line to pull back to Williams-Bushell, but his shot from a tight angle was tipped over by Boro keeper Jack Turner for a corner. Ashby quickly took the corner to Zac McEachran, whose effort flew into the top corner to give City the lead against the run of play after 15 minutes.
Boro seemed to be unsettled by falling behind and good play between Potter and Lolos teed up Fleet, but the midfielder, making his 300 appearance for City, could only direct his shot at Turner and was easily saved. Boro’s Norville-Williams lashed a long range left-footed attempt over the club-house before Parsons received the first yellow card of the game for flattening Carroll.
Boro were slowly recovering their impetus, and Young saw a long-range effort easily saved, then the same player went on a penetrative run from half-way only to be denied by a tremendous tackle from Carroll. Saied picked up the loose ball but his effort was blocked, but the ball fell kindly for Young to tuck home from close range for a deserved equaliser after 32 minutes.
City dominated possession for the rest of the half but without creating any clear-cut chances. The best occurred a minute before the interval when McEachran and Potter combined to set-up Ashby but the shot from 20 yards was comfortably caught by the Boro keeper under his crossbar. Norville-Williams went on a dangerous run but another tremendous tackle from Carroll stopped the move. The half-end with McEachran being the middle of a sandwich but the free-kick came to nothing.
At half-time both sides would probably have been content with their first half-showings and the honours were deservedly even.
Four minutes into the second half, Potter spun past Boro centre-back Robinson to feed McEachran on the left, but his cut-back and shot was well saved one-handed by Turner at the expense of a corner. Williams-Bushell then beat Page midway inside the Boro half but his long range shot lacked conviction.
The visitors then enjoyed a good spell. Grant sent a free-kick just outside of the City area into the defensive wall, but the impressive Norville-Williams played a lovely pass into the left-back channel for Robinson to run onto, but his cross into the 6 yard area was headed away.
Another Robinson projectile was headed out to the edge of the area where Saied shot well over the bar. From a similar position the long-throw finally produced a goal in the 60th minute. Grant got his head to the throw and in the confusion Jonathan Page got on the end of it to head the ball over the line from close range to give Boro a 2-1 lead, much to the delight of the 60 to 70 fans behind the goal who had made the 60 mile journey from Farnborough.
The home side nearly struck back almost immediately as Potter released Williams-Bushell down the right but no attacker was on hand to meet the dangerous ball across the face of the goal. However, for a while it was Farnborough who looked more likely to score the next goal. A 3 on 1 break needed a desperate interception and a brave block by Carroll to prevent an almost certain goal, then Norville-Williams found Young in the left-hand channel but his shot on the turn was blocked on the 6 yard line.
Young then went on a super run but his pass to substitute Kandi was poor. However, the ball eventually found its way to Saied, but the attempt from the angle of the penalty area flew a couple of feet wide of the far post. Young and Norville-Williams continued to combine well and when Norville-Williams got to the by-line, a fine tackle on Young as he attempted to play the pull-back left the Boro forward on the floor injured, and he had to leave the field and be replaced.
As the match moved into the final 10 minutes, the visitors seemed content to sit on their lead and soak up the pressure. However, despite City having plenty of possession the Boro backline didn’t look like yielding, although Turner did have to make a sprawling save from Williams-Bushell’s 25 yarder.
Despite 6 minutes of added on time to be played, Boro wound down the clock without too many alarums, although their “game management” was aided by Grant twice falling to the floor to con the referee into awarding free-kicks to the frustration of the home side.
At the final whistle, Farnborough deservedly took the three points which took them upto 10th place, but more importantly only 4 points from a play-off position with three games in hand. On this form you wouldn’t bet against them finishing in the top 7.
Although Braintree were the only side in the top 10 to win today, Oxford City dropped to 5th place as their unbeaten run in 2023 came to an end, and they now face third placed Braintree on Tuesday night in another important encounter.
Oxford City : Kanuric – Burley ( Wilson ), Carroll, Miccio – Williams-Bushell, Ashby, Fleet, McEachran, Coyle – Potter ( Dawes ), Lolos ( Iaciofano )
Farnborough FC : Turner – Robinson, Ball, Lokko – Grant, Saied, Lawless ( Fearn ), Page, Norville-Williams – Young ( Holmes ), Parsons ( Kandi )
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9qLMCPOlA8
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