September 21, 2024
Today’s entertainment was the meeting in National League One between bottom of the table Oxford City and fifth from bottom Needham Market.
Oxford City Update
These diaries last featured Oxford City on the August Bank Holiday Saturday when they fell to a 1-4 home defeat to South Shields, who ruthlessly exposed The Hoops’ weaknesses in defence and in goal. This was followed by a 0-4 thrashing at Kidderminster Harriers, where keeper Kai Mckenzie-Lyle failed to cover himself in glory for three of the goals.
McKenzie-Lyle conveniently picked up a training ground injury, leading to Rylee Mitchell being brought in on a short-term loan from Stevenage to play in goal. The performance against an-inform Chorley side was much better, as goals from Andre Burley and Corie Andrews gave City a 2-0 lead in the first half, and although Chorley pulled a goal back, it looked like the first win of the season would be registered.
However, with just under 15 minutes remaining Oxford City attempted to make a substitution. Unfortunately, Andrews took a long time to leave the pitch, and although the referee told him several times to hurry up, he decided to stop and wave to the crowd again. The referee got fed up and showed him a yellow card, and as it was his second card, he was sent-off. It all seemed very petty but within the letter of law. There would be an outcry if such a dismissal occurred in the Premier League, although I have little sympathy for Andrews for ignoring the instruction from the referee.
City were unable to make their change, and in the immediate confusion Chorley equalised, and the game went on to finish 2-2.
Oxford City’s next two matches were postponed due three of their players being on international duty, Andre Burley ( St Kitts and Nevis ) and Jalen Jones and McKenzie-Lyle ( both Guyana – Mckenzie-Lyle was an unused substitute in both games despite missing the Chorley match through injury ). Manager Sam Cox was also away in his role of assistant manager for Guyana.
With all the other sides in National League North playing their scheduled fixtures, Oxford City found themselves bottom of the table, albeit with two matches in hand, whereas they had started the season with expectations of competing for a return to the National League.
The first game after the international break was a home FA Cup tie against step 4 Willand Rovers, and The Hoops stormed to a morale boosting 6-0 victory, with Zac McEachran scoring after 13 seconds, and ex Bedford Town and Thame United winger Louis Walsh scored four times in his first start for the club.
Any optimism from the FA Cup win was soon doused in the opening 14 minutes of the rearranged fixture at home to lowly Peterborough Sports, as they fell 0-2 behind after some poor defending. Although Josh Parker converted a penalty early in the second half, Sports added a third and despite some late pressure, were good value for their 3-1 win.
Therefore, today’s match against another side near the bottom of the table became a crucial one for the Hoops, with the pressure building on the new coach, and another defeat would leave Oxford City stranded and already potentially looking at successive relegations. With last season’s manager Ross Jenkins having already left Boreham Wood, a return for him could be on the cards if City’s management feel a change is necessary should the poor results continue.
Needham Market
Needham Market is small town in Suffolk around 10 miles north-west of Ipswich and has a population of just under 5,000.
Its football club were formed in 1919 and are known as The Marketmen. They reached the semi-finals of the FA Vase in 2007/08 and won the Eastern Counties Premier Division in 2009/10 to move up to step 4 in the non-league pyramid.
Needham Market reached the Isthmian League Division One North play-offs in their first three seasons before winning the league in 2014/15. After three seasons in the step 3 Isthmian League Premier Division, they were level transferred to the Southern League Premier Central Division, which they won in 2023/24 to earn promotion to National League North. Like Oxford City, they probably would have been much happier in National League South !
Needham Market have had a difficult start to life at step 2, losing all four of their home league games so far ( Southport 1-2, Scunthorpe 0-1, Alfreton Town 0-2 and Farsley Celtic 0-1 ). They also lost at home in the FA Cup, being eliminated 0-3 by National League South St Albans City. However, they have had more joy on the road, with wins at Warrington Town ( 2-1 ) and Hereford United ( 1-0 ) and 1-1 draw at Radcliffe, but lost at Curzon Ashton ( 0-2 ) on the opening game of the season.
The Marketmen’s problems are clearly up front, having scored only five times all season, with five different goal scorers. Centre-forward Jamie McGrath scored 15 league goals last season but has found the net only once so far this term, the winner against Hereford.
Despite the poor home results, average attendances are up 67% on last season at 594.
Needham Market’s manager is ex-Manchester City, West Ham United and Ipswich midfielder Kevin Horlock, who also made 32 appearances for Northern Ireland.
Matchday Information
The journey from Needham Market to Oxford is approximately 145 miles and would normally take at least two and half hours, probably more. Around twenty Marketmen supporters had gathered behind the goal they were attacking in the first half, including six young lads with a drum, and there were a handful of other supporters dotted around the ground.
After some rain at lunchtime, blue skies appeared at the 15.00 kick-off and temperatures were around 18 degrees. The forecasted thundery showers never arrived.
Despite their position in the table, Bet365 made Oxford City 5/4 favourites, with Needham Market at 17/10 and the draw at 5/2
Oxford City made three changes to the side that started against Peterborough Sports, with Josh Parker, Alfie Potter and Andre Burley replacing Andrews, Walsh and Roddy. Needham Market made two changes with Marcus Garnham returning in goal and Kyle Hammond coming into midfield.
Needham Market were in an all-red strip, whilst Oxford City were in their usual blue and white hoops.
Match Report
The first impression as the sides lined up for the pre-match handshakes was that there a lack of height in the Needham Market side compared to the Oxford City line-up.
Oxford City came out of the traps strongly, and with less than two minutes played Dye was forced to head off for a corner to prevent Parker’s cross reaching Coyle beyond the far post.
The Hoops won another corner four minutes later from which Kpekawa’s towering header was headed off the line by Hunter standing at the near post, and shortly afterwards Hunter was on hand to take the ball of Burley’s toes as the St Kitts and Nevis defender was lining up a volley from the edge of the area.
Burley was involved again in the 10th minute, winning a tackle near the half-way line and released McEachran, who in turn played in Potter down the right wing. However, the floated cross was well caught by the chunky Garnham.
Burley then played a lovely ball down the right-hand channel for Parker to run onto, forcing Dan Morphew to concede a corner, from which Parker sent a glancing header across the goal, but off for a goal kick.
It was all City in the opening stages and Kieran Morphew headed off a dangerous cross-field ball from Jones at the expense of another corner. Kpekawa was denied again, this time his header hit the post, then the goalkeeper on the head and then the bar before being cleared.
The first attacking threat from the visitors came from an Oxford City mistake. Coyle’s attempted clearance struck Kpekawa and fell kindly for Dye to run towards the by-line, but there was no-one up in support to get on the end of the ball across the six-yard line.
The home side were soon back on the attack though and McEachran set-up Ashby to fire a 20-yard effort narrowly wide, but they didn’t have to wait much longer to open the scoring. Parker was bundled over by Smith out near the right-hand touchline. The free kick was taken by Ashby, and Parker produced a smart glancing header to send the ball into the bottom corner. 1-0 after 22 minutes.
The visitors nearly equalised against the run of play five minutes later when the suspiciously offside looking McGrath was sent clear, but Kpekawa produced a super tackle to deny him. Then McGrath produced a neat flick when he was in the process of being clattered and Allen was put clear, only for the linesman’s offside flag to be raised, but the referee took play back to the foul on McGrath. Hammond’s free kick resulted in an easy catch for keeper Mitchell.
Needham’s Market’s brief good spell came to an end as Oxford City doubled their lead. A good long ball from Mitchell found Potter in space on the left and after combining with Coyle and McEachran, Potter’s poke for goal was blocked. Fortunately for The Hoops the ball bounced to McEachran, who played a square pass to the unmarked Reece Fleet who rolled the ball into the centre of the empty net from eight yards. 2-0 with 29 minutes played.
Oxford City’s confidence was now soaring, and a flowing move saw Fleet find Potter in space on the right, who laid the ball back to Burley, whose pass was dummied by McEachran to allow Fleet to shoot from 25 yards but it went over the bar.
Six minutes before the break, it looked like McGrath might break free onto a through ball, but Jones produced a good tackle to avert the danger.
Both sides had shots on goal as the game entered first half added time. After the visitors had been outmuscled in midfield, Ashby’s 30-yard effort was straight at the keeper, who made a routine save, before Allen was able to turn and shoot from the edge of the area, but Mitchell saved at the second attempt.
As the sides headed for the half-time oranges, Oxford City were deservedly two goals ahead, but the home fans were not counting any chickens at this stage.
Whatever was said in the Needham Market dressing room during the break, it seems to have had an impact as the visitors dominated the opening 10 minutes of the second period. Almost immediately Chambers looked like breaking through after a pass from substitute Mills, but poor control allowed Jones to get back and win the ball.
A cross from the right was too high for McGrath, and when the Marketmen recycled possession a cross from the left needed to be headed behind by Siddik for a corner. The set-piece was played to Hammond, whose shot from outside the area hit a City defender and there were appeals for handball, which were ignored by the referee. Shortly after, Hammond saw Mitchell off his line but the keeper was able to get back and tip the chip over the bar for another corner.
Another ball went across the home side’s six-yard line but again no Needham Market attacker had anticipated it and the ball went harmlessly off for a goal kick. Hammond and Dye then combined to put another ball across the Oxford City area from the right, and when Smith played it back in again from the left, City cleared and went on the counterattack, winning themselves a corner. This again was won in the air by Kpekawa but this time he headed wide at the back post. Needham Market were being exposed as having a weakness in the air at corners.
Oxford City though were content to sit back and let Needham Market attack them, and Mills went on a run across the 18-yard line only to be closed down by Burley.
Oxford City won a free kick near their left touchline midway inside the Needham Market half, and the delivery from Coyle saw Garnham stretch to palm away at his back post for a corner to prevent a couple of attackers getting on the end of it. Both Kpekawa and Jones got their head to ball from the corner, and when Fleet attempted to get to the loose ball, he went to the floor after a challenge with Dye. With the home side appealing for a penalty, the ball made its way to McEachran, who sent a sensational 30-yard volley into the top corner. 3-0 with 64 minutes on the clock.
The visitors went looking for a consolation goal, and a free kick from Allen was kept in play beyond the far post by a header from McGrath. Mills saw his goal bound effort blocked, and Hunter sent the rebound over the bar from 10 yards.
Kpekawa carelessly gave the ball away, and the visitors played the ball forward to McGrath but his left footed attempt from the edge of the area was caught above his head by Mitchell.
The game’s most impressive piece of skill came in the 78th minute as deep inside his own half, Parker beat both Smith and Dan Morphew and raced into the visitors' half and then into the penalty area. His square ball reached McEachran, who laid off to Burley, who was crowded out, and when the ball fall to McEachran, he steered his attempt just wide.
With 10 minutes remaining, Potter ran onto Parker’s flicked header from a throw-in, but he could only steer the bouncing ball into the grateful hands of Garnham.
Coyle and Parker were both shown yellow cards for late tackles and with six minutes of normal time remaining, Andrews teed up McEachran whose low drive saw a Garnham make a good diving save at his near post.
Jessup then received a yellow card after diving in on Coyle, who got up to take the free kick, only to send it over the bar and out of the ground. It was his last contribution as he was immediately substituted !
In the fourth minute of added time there appeared to be an off the ball incident between Ashby and Dan Morphew as the ball went over the visitors byline, which resulted in the referee showing a straight red card to the Needham Market player, which was subsequently confirmed as being for a head-butt.
The referee ended the game shortly after to give Oxford City a deserved three points which took them up to third from bottom. Needham Market stayed fifth from bottom.
A first league win of the season should take some of the pressure off beleaguered manager Sam Cox, but Oxford City have another important game on Tuesday when they play their second rearranged fixture, at Leamington Spa, which in the realms on National League North could be considered a local derby as it is their second nearest opponent although nearly 50 miles away !
Needham Market played a lot of skillful, passing football but seem to have a defensive aerial weakness and at this level looked to be powder-puff up front. They could be in for a hard season to avoid ending in the relegation places.
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUCvtD_hLzo
Oxford City : Mitchell – Burley ( Ezennolim ), Jones, Siddik ( Roddy ), Kpekawa– Walsh, Fleet, Ashby, McEachran, Coyle ( Carbon ) – Potter ( Andrews ), Parker ( Stretton ),
Needham Market : Garnham – Dye ( Ashbourne ), K. Morphew ( Jessup ), D. Morphew, Smith – Lay ( Mills ), Hunter, Allen, Hammond – McGrath, Chambers ( Fraser )
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