July 6, 2024
Despite Euro 2024 continuing, the preparation for the new season started today with an interesting cross-border fixture with Barry Town United travelling from Wales to play a friendly with Oxford City. Whilst just a pre-season friendly, it was an opportunity to gauge the relative strengths of National League North against the Welsh Premier League.
Barry Town United
One of the most successful sides in the history of the Welsh pyramid, Barry Town United finished 9th in last season’s Cymru Premier League.
Barry had historically played in the English league system, mostly in the Southern League until the creation of the League of Wales in 1992, which saw Barry play one season in exile at Worcester City. However, they decide to join the fold for 1993/94.
Between 1995/96 and 2002/03 Barry won the Welsh Premiership seven times in eight seasons until the rise of TNS, but financial problems led to relegation in 2003/04 to Welsh League Division One after entering administration. With a further relegation in 2006/07 the future looked bleak. However, thanks to several fan backed campaigns the club survived and after the 2016/17 campaign they secured their return to the Welsh Premier League.
Barry played in European competitions eleven times between 1994/95 and 2020/21 although they were eliminated at the first hurdle every time bar two occasions. In the UEFA Cup campaign in 1996/97 they overcame Latvian side Dinaburg and Hungarians Budapest Vasutas, before being eliminated by Aberdeen despite a 3-3 home draw. In 2001/02 they beat Azerbaijan side FK Shamkir 3-0 on aggregate in the Champions League qualifiers before facing Porto. Despite a 3-1 home win over the Portuguese giants, the damage had been done by a 0-8 reverse in Portugal.
Barry returned to European competition in 2019/20 but despite a 0-0 home draw against Cliftonville played in Cardiff, they lost 0-4 in Northern Ireland. In the Covid hit season of 2020/21 they lost a one legged tie in heavy fog 1-5 in the Faroe Islands to NSI Runavik.
One of Barry’s new signings for the new season is ex-Ipswich Welsh Under 21 international left-back/midfielder Josh Yorwerth who I saw play three times for Crawley Town between 2015 and 2018. After leaving Crawley for a reported six-figure fee to join Peterborough, he failed a random drug test and was banned for four years. He resumed his career last season at Penybont ( Bridgend ) and Merthyr Tydfil, but if he has returned to full fitness after his enforced lay-off he would prove to be an important signing for The Linnets.
Other announced signings so far were ex-Bristol Rovers and Gloucester City goal-keeper Liam Armstrong, who was at Hellenic League Corsham Town last season, ex-Kidderminster Welsh U21 centre-back Ben Margetson, who signed from Pontypridd, and experienced ex-Bristol Rovers, Exeter City, Tranmere, Cheltenham and Hereford midfielder Eliot Richards, who was with Penybont last season. Twelve players had been retained from last season and nine players released.
I have made one visit to Barry’s 3,500 capacity Jenner Park Stadium, watching their 3-0 victory over Bangor City in the 2000/01 Welsh Cup Quarter-Final. Barry went on to beat TNS in the final to win a domestic double that season. The Barry manager was ex-Welsh International and Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Luton, Chelsea and Watford midfielder Peter Nicholas ( 73 caps ). The Barry side include ex-Millwall, Watford, Antwerp, Brighton and Colchester forward Jamie Moralee, who scored one of the goals, and left-back Gary Lloyd, who was regularly called up to the Welsh National squad but never became an international from the Welsh League.
The Bangor City side included ex-Manchester United midfielder Clayton Blackmore ( 39 caps ) and Rhodri Giggs, brother of Ryan. As a sign of the times, the programme talks about some games in Wales being postponed due to the outbreak of Foot and Mouth !
Oxford City 2024/25
After being relegated from the National League after one season at the highest level of English non-league football, Oxford City were placed in National League North due to the fewer number of “northern” teams at Step 2.
Manager Ross Jenkins had left the club to take up the vacant position at Boreham Wood, another side that had been relegated from the National League, but to National League South. In his place, 33 year-old Sam Cox had been appointed as his replacement. Cox had finished the 2023/24 season as interim coach at National League Wealdstone and successfully led them to safety from relegation. A former captain of the Guyana National Side winning 26 caps, Cox had also been an assistant manager for Guyana, but it wasn’t clear if this was going to continue with the full-time role at Oxford City.
News of signings and departures had been slow, and announcements of players re-signing had been drip fed on social media. The midfield “holy trinity” of Zac McEachran, Reece Fleet and Josh Ashby had been confirmed as signing on for another season as well strikers Josh Parker ( 37 caps for Antigua ) and Alfie Potter, winger Lewis Coyle and defender Andre Burley ( 14 caps for St Kitts and Nevis ) also committing for another year. There had been no comment on last season’s regulars Canice Carroll, Aaron Williams-Bushell, Nya Kirby, Renny Smith, Mitchell Roberts and Tafari Moore and none of them were to feature today. Hopefully some of them were either on holiday or injured !
One significant loss was the departure of Latrell Humphrey-Ewers, who after a breakthrough season in the National League had signed for National League South Bath City. American centre-back Giles Phillips had joined National League Ebbsfleet United, reserve keeper Marcin Brzozowski had moved to Farnham Town and fringe forward Pierre Fonkeu had moved to National League South Maidstone.
Cox had used his Guyana contacts to sign keeper Kai Mckenzie-Lyle ( 13 caps ) who was last with Folkestone Invicta but had been at Liverpool as a youngster, and giant centre-back Jalen Jones ( 14 caps ) who joined from Aveley. Another new signing was left-back Chi Ezennolim, who was with Maidstone last season.
Matchday Information
As an initiative to attract supporters to the game, Oxford City announced that admission prices for this game, and two other pre-season friendly matches, was on a pay what you want basis. I gave £10 for entry to the game.
Oxford City had announced ticket prices for National League North matches had been reduced following relegation from the National League from £14 online and £17 on the gate to £13 and £15 respectively for the new season.
After a morning of heavy rain, the temperature at the 15.00 kick-off was around 15 degrees and whilst it was now dry, some further occasional showers were forecast.
Oxford City took to the field in a change kit of all red rather than their usual blue and white hoops, whilst Barry were in a kit of white shirts with black shorts and socks instead of their normal yellow and blue.
With relegation from the National League it is now allowed to have a beer in view of the pitch at Court Place Farm. The “no alcohol beyond this point” signs were still on the door from the bar, but this was ignored by many fans.
Bet365 offered odds on this friendly with Oxford City 4/6 favourites, Barry at 5/2 and the draw at 10/3. With no form to go by, I had no idea what the basis of these odds were, apart from perhaps home advantage !
A pre-match cup of tea cost £2, whilst a pint of Belhaven Pilsner and a glass of white wine at half-time came to £10. Unlike last season no real ales were on tap today, just Greene King’s Prior Life IPA.
No programme was produced for this friendly nor were there the usual team lists being handed out. The Oxford City starting XI was announced over the tannoy but unfortunately not all of the numbers matched the numbers the players were actually wearing.
The announcer informed that City would have 10 trialists featuring during the game, and a lot of changes would be made at half-time. However, new keeper Kai Mckenzie-Lyle was between the sticks, Chi Ezennolim was at left-back, Andre Burley was at right-back, Lewis Coyle was in midfield and Josh Parker was upfront. Phil Croker was announced as number 4, but I think he was wearing the number 6 shirt.
No details were given for the Barry Town side, but they were playing in numbers 1 to 11. Around 25 to 30 Barry supporters had made the 120 mile journey, which is probably shorter than half of their league fixtures !
Match Report
Despite the international flavour to the friendly, no anthems were played prior to the kick-off !
Oxford City started strongly and with just over a minute played Burley crossed from the right wing but Parker put the ball over the bar from close range.
Shortly after, City gave the ball away playing out from the back, and the Barry number 7 Callum Huggins had a 20 yard shot deflected for a corner. The set-piece found number 9 Ollie Hulbert unmarked 8 yards out, but his downward header was perhaps a bit too downward and bounced over the bar.
With 5 minutes played Ezennolim made a strong run down the left to the Barry by-line and from his cross, Parker set-up Trialist number 10 ( who turned out to be ex-Coventry City winger Bradley Stretton ), but his shot was blocked. When the ball was reworked, a City cross from the right was met by Croker, but the ball glanced off his head for a goal-kick when he really ought to have hit the target.
In a frenetic beginning, Huggins then gave his number 8 Eliot Richards an opportunity to have a shot from 20 yards, but the effort was at the City keeper, who made an easy catch.
Ezennolim this made another eye-catching run down the left, but this time his ball to the near post was put wide by Parker. Two of the home sides’ trialists then combined with Stretton passing to number 16, whose shot was acrobatically pushed over the bar by Barry keeper Luc Rees.
In the 15th minute, Stretton combined with Parker but his low left footed shot from the return was pushed away by the Barry keeper. A minute later Coyle made a surging run down the left-hand channel but his cross was well headed away by the Barry number 5 Josh Yorwerth.
Barry went straight down the other end and Hulbert ran free down the left, but no team-mate was in support, and his low ball across the face of the goal went begging.
In the 18th minute, an Oxford City free-kick from the left was headed off for a corner, and when Stretton played the corner short, he took the return pass and sent a left-footed effort from just inside the angle of the penalty area curling into the far bottom corner for the opening goal. 1-0 after 19 minutes.
The visitors looked to quickly hit back and a minute later Hulbert ran onto a ball down the left-hand channel, but his shot lacked power and McKenzie-Lyle made a comfortable save.
The home side doubled their lead shortly after, Triallist number 16 was found in space on the right wing, and his attempted cross sailed over the Barry keeper, hit the far post and bounced into the net. Whether it was deliberate or not, it was 2-0 after 23 minutes.
Despite the score, the game was evenly matched, and Barry’s number 10 Keenan Patten sent an ambitious long-range effort not too far high and wide.
Croker then gave the ball away as Oxford City attempted to build from the back and when Barry attacked down the right-hand side, Huggins produced a neat finish to a low cross, with a clever flick from the 6-yard line going through the legs of the home keeper. The cheers of the Welsh fans were soon silenced as the linesman’s flag was raised for offside. From where I was sitting that seemed to be a little surprising, but Barry only had the consolation that it was a good move.
The visitors were enjoying a good spell and when Patten played a ball across The Hoops penalty area, number 4 Mike George drilled the ball across the face of the goal and just wide. Patten then played a nice ball down the left for number 11 to run onto, but his low cross was well defended for a corner.
With 34 minutes on the scoreboard clock, the home side had their next attack, and Trialist number 16 saw his shot deflect off Yorwerth and into the side netting for a corner. However, nothing came from the corner with a free-kick awarded to Barry.
Barry were still looking dangerous and after a long ball out of defence went over the head of Croker, Hulbert latched on to it, stepped inside the covering defender only to be denied by an outstanding fingertip save from McKenzie-Lyle.
In the 36th minute, Parker saw the keeper Rees off his line but his attempted chip from around 40 yards went narrowly wide of the post.
The referee then incurred the wrath of the Barry players by awarding a free-kick for a foul when they had an obvious advantage.
The Welsh side then produced another good move as number 4 Ben Margetson found number Hulbert but his shot from 14 yards was denied by McKenzie-Lyle diving to his right to make a stunning save.
The end-to-end nature of the game continued as Trialist 16 set-up Parker, but the Antiguan shot wide from 12 yards. Back down the other end, Barry’s number 2 delivered a curling cross from the right but City Trialist number 5 made a good header to concede a corner.
The corner was cleared by the Oxford City defence and was played quickly to Josh Parker, who ran from inside his own half but was cynically tripped by Josh Yorwerth just outside the Barry area. Despite being a friendly a yellow card was still shown, and retribution was suitably delivered when Parker got up and sent the free-kick over the wall and into the top corner in the way he has frequently down since joining the Hoops. 3-0 with 42 minutes played.
The home side finished the half well and Trialist 8 found Trialist 16, who ran across the Barry penalty area for Parker to shot a foot wide of the post with the outside of his foot for the last action of the first half.
A heavy shower landed during the half time interval, but it had mostly dissipated by the time the two sides returned for the second half. Barry made 4 changes at the restart, surprisingly taking off Huggins and Hulbert, who had looked their most impressive players in the first half and changed their goal-keeper, bringing on new signing Armstrong.
Oxford City made wholesale changes to their side but these included Josh Ashby and Zac McEachran taking to the field, along with new centre-back Jalen Jones.
Neither side initially seemed to be in control and after 54 minutes, Patten sent a long-range effort over the bar with the keeper stranded. Barry continued to make substitutions which seemed to disrupt their side, and a flowing move involving Trialists 18 and 9 ( who turned out to be ex-Wealdstone forward Corie Andrews ) led to Trialist number 7 applying a side-footed finish from 12 yards. 4-0 with 55 minutes on the clock.
Yorwerth continued to have a solid game at the back for Barry despite the score-line and need to make another good defensive header to concede a corner. Barry were still a threat on the counter and a good block by Croker was needed to deny number 14. From the corner, number 4 blazed wide.
Barry continued to make more substitutions but then conceded another goal. Andrews was found inside the Barry area, but after two tackles the rebound fell to McEachran, who calmly finished into the keeper’s right hand bottom corner. 5-0 after 67 minutes.
That goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of the Welsh side, and other goal was added a couple of minutes later when Andrews wriggled his way through the defence to add another goal. 6-0 after 70 minutes.
At that point we decided to leave to get home in time for the England vs Switzerland Euro 2024 quarter-final. In our absence, further goals were added by Josh Ashby, Jayden Carbon ( back at Oxford City after a season long loan at Thame United ) and another for Andrews.
It might sound funny after a 0-9 defeat, but I didn’t think Barry were that bad, and they looked very dangerous at times in the first half. However, being a pre-season friendly, they appeared to take off some of their better players at the interval, and the combinations thereafter were nowhere near as strong, and the makeshift City side took advantage.
For Oxford City, keeper McKenzie-Lyle looks to be an astute signing. It is always tough to judge trialists on the basis of one game or 45 minutes, but numbers 10 and 16 from the first half looked to be decent players and 16 and 9 from the second half deserve another look against more cohesive opposition.
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y2wB6SQtFs
No comments:
Post a Comment