May 14, 2023
A sold-out crowd meant these diaries were reduced to covering today’s play-off final by watching BT Sport on TV rather than being in a record attendance at a packed Court Place Farm. With the ground feeling almost full with the 2,017 that attended the semi-final victory over Worthing, an additional 900 could make watching today’s game distinctly uncomfortable, so staying at home and watching on TV might actually be the better option……….
If they do go up St Albans will have done it the hard way, facing three play-off matches on the road. They overcame Chelmsford 1-0 after extra time in the preliminary round, and then eliminated second placed Dartford on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time. After knocking out the sides that finished 5th and 2nd in the regular season table, they now had to visit Oxford City, who had finished in 3rd place. After a final day 2-0 home win over Farnborough, Saints secured their place in the play-offs by taking 6th place.
St Albans did not have a great recent record at Court Place Farm. Since Oxford City were transferred from Conference North for the 2015/16 season the Saints record was 1-2-5, although they were successful in an FA Trophy Cup-Tie, romping to a 4-1 win. Given the cup-tie nature of today’s game, Saints fans would be hoping that would be a better indicator of the possible outcome.
St Albans had two players that were included in the National League One South team of the year. Predictably 27 goal striker Shaun Jeffers, who played in the Football league for Coventry, Cheltenham, Yeovil and Newport Country was one of them, and ex-Arsenal, Wycombe & Plymouth left-back Tafari Moore was the other. Moore faced a late fitness test for today’s game, and passed it to take his place in the starting XI. Perhaps surprisingly Jeffers was on the bench.
Long serving winger Zane Banton started his career at Luton whilst ex-Oxford City midfielder Kynan Wiltshire would miss today’s game with a knee injury picked up in the Farnborough game.
I have seen St Albans on three previous occasions, the last of which was the Conference South meeting in 2018/19 when Oxford City edged to a 2-1 victory. From the sides that started that day, City’s current midfield trio of Ashby, Fleet and McEachran were in The Hoops line-up whilst Banton was in the Saints team. The one memorable feature of this game was that due to injuries, young reserve keeper Alex Grantham came on for the last few minutes as an outfield player, and that remains his only league appearance for The Hoops.
In 2011/12 the sides met in the Southern League following the Saints relegation from Conference South, and Oxford City won their home meeting 3-1, as they went on to finish 2nd and earn promotion to Conference North after progressing through the promotion play-offs.
Way back in 1988/89 when living in Hampton Hill I decided to take the short drive to watch an early season mid-week fixture on a warm evening at Windsor & Eton, where the home side beat St Albans 2-1. So, given my record watching Saints, they would probably be happy I was unable to get a ticket for today’s game !
Oxford City went into today’s game in good form, having the second-best record in 2023 after Champions Ebbsfleet, but had only one player in the National League One South team of the year, namely midfielder Zac McEachran. However, several players must have come close to earning the accolade, and would have made a shadow XI.
Bet365 made Oxford City 17/20 favourites, with St Albans at 5/2 and the draw at 13/5. The temperature at the 12.30 kick-off time was around 17% and the weather sunny.
St Albans were in yellow shirts and blue shorts whilst Oxford City were in their usual blue and white hoops.
Saints had a great chance to open the scoring in the first minute. Mitchell Weiss was put clear, and although he looked off-side, the linesman’s flag stayed down and the striker advanced into the penalty area, only for keeper Haigh to produce a tremendous save. The rebound fell to Cooper but he could only put the ball wide.
The missed proved costly as a flowing Oxford City move involving Parker, Coyle, McEachran, Potter and McEachran again, saw Fleet teed up, and the captain tucked it away in the bottom corner. 1-0 after three minutes following a fabulous move.
Oxford dominated possession in the early stages, passing it around nicely with Fleet as the central hub of most things, and Saints were chasing shadows.
Oxford City nearly grabbed a second goal in the 13th minute as Potter made a great run from the edge of his own area, played the ball out wide to Parker, whose chip to far post was met by a flying header by McEachran, but keeper Berry produced a magnificent save. However, the on-loan Norwich City keeper went from hero to zero with a huge howler. Under pressure from Parker from Adebiyi’s back pass, his first touch was heavy and the ball rolled to McEachran. With a drop of his shoulder, McEachran easily rounded the keeper and slotted past Francis-Clarke on the line for 2-0.
Another flowing move from the home side saw Parker free Potter but the ex-Oxford United man fell over the ball when entering the St Albans area.
Saints’ response was a nice chip by Blackman to find Banton in space inside the Oxford City area, but poor control saw the ball roll off for goal-kick.
An injury to Potter in the 24th minute allowed a drinks brink for both teams, and Saints took the opportunity to have a team talk. Potter had to go off and was replaced by Humphrey-Ewers
St Albans were slowing getting into the game and had a spell of possession, but when they lost the ball Parker broke and fed Ashby, but the pass intended for McEachran was over-hit.
Oxford City then had an appeal for hand ball when Ashby’s cross hit the hand of Francis-Clarke, but it was ball to hand and the referee waved play-on. However, Saints reprieve was short-lived as Oxford City added a third in the 30 minute. McEachran ran at the Saints back-line, flicked the ball to Ashby who calmly curled the ball into the far corner from 12 yards.
Saints won a corner in the 35th minute, and from a short corner routine, Banton’s ball into the danger zone was headed well wide by Adibiyi. That was his last contribution as he was sacrificed to bring on Jeffers in an attempt to turn the game around. Blackman then volleyed high, wide and not so handsome after Burley’s header out.
Although Williams-Bushell had a long range shot a couple of feet wide of the post for The Hoops, Saints continued to press, and Cooper was able to turn inside the Oxford City area but both Miccio and Carroll dived into block the effort and the loose ball was scrambled clear, then Jeffers found some space on the left and headed for goal. With Carroll keeping a close watch, Fleet was able to get a foot in to take the ball off the Saints star-man and keeper Haigh gathered.
There was still time in the half for Humphrey-Ewers to find Williams-Bushell, but the right-wing cross was just too high for Parker. With the second minute of added time being played, Humphrey-Ewers won a header ahead of Mukena to send the ball forward where Parker controlled, stepped inside Francis-Clarke and placed his left-footed shot inside far post for 4-0 and another quality finish from the home side.
At half-time it seemed all-over barring some miracle from St Albans.
Oxford City continued on the offensive and two minutes in, Ashby went down inside the area but the referee ignored the appeals for a penalty. However, St Albans had come out determined to try and get something from the game and a cross-cum shot from Weiss out on right was caught under bar by Haigh, then Jeffers fended off Carroll to send a 20-yard effort on target where Haigh tipped it over the bar.
Having established a commanding lead, the home side seemed content to sit back and defend, although Ashby got forward to shoot from a tight angle after goal work by Humphrey-Ewers but Berry held onto to the effort.
Saints continued to probe but were making little impression on the Oxford City rear-guard. Cooper sent a 20-yard left-footed shot a couple of yards wide, then Smith played a delicate chip over the top for Jeffers to try and reach but the ball deflected off keeper Haigh for a corner, which was then well claimed by the keeper.
After 64 minutes Jeffers sent 25 yard free-kick in a central position straight into the defensive wall, then a minute later a chip forward to Neal was denied by a determined sliding block by Miccio
18 years old Luton Town loanee Francis-Clarke then saw yellow after hanging onto Parker as the Antiguan international spun around him.
With 15 minutes remaining Smith’s chip forward was headed across goal by Banton but Jeffers was crowded out. With the clock ticking down Banton tried a 25-yard effort but Haigh made a regulation save, and Saints frustration shown as Blackman chopped down Humphrey-Ewers for another yellow card.
At the final whistle, Oxford City deservedly took the victory their first half performance merited, and can now look forward to playing sides such as Hartlepool, Chesterfield, Oldham, Southend, York City and Rochdale in the National League. City looked fresher than Saints, who must have been feeling the effects of twice having to go to extra-time in their play-off matches
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHOfa8vNHmI
Oxford City : Haigh – Burley, Carroll, Miccio – Williams-Bushell, Fleet, Ashby, McEachran ( Wilson ), Coyle – Potter ( Humphrey-Ewers ), Parker ( Lolos )
St Albans : Berry – Stanley, Francis-Clarke, Adebiyi ( Jeffers ), Mukena, Moore – Cooper ( McConnell ) Blackman, Smith, Banton – Weiss ( Neal )
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