December 6, 2025
After last weekend’s disappointing 0-1 home loss to King’s Lynn which left them in 23rd place in the table and having played more games than the sides around them, today saw Oxford City hosting Darlington, who made the short trip from County Durham to Oxfordshire ! Darlington started the day in 4th place, so would be tough opposition for The Hoops.
Previous Meetings
Last season was the first time these two sides had faced each other. In the August sunshine there was a thrilling 2-2 at Court Place Farm, whilst in the reverse fixture in December it was a 1-1 draw in Darlington.
Fatbear reported on the 2-2 draw, including a potted history of the Quakers, and the previous time he had seen Darlington play.
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2024/08/oxford-city-2-2-darlington-fc-att-862.html
Darlington This Season
Last season Darlington finished 11th in the table and had an average home crowd of 1,436
Darlington arrived today with a 9-5-6 record to be fourth, but were 12 points adrift of leaders AFC Fylde. Away from home their record was 5-1-4, with the victories coming at Alfreton ( 3-0 ), Marine ( 4-1 ), Leamington ( 1-0 ), Kidderminster Harriers ( 2-1 ) and last Saturday they scored twice in added time for a 4-3 come-back win at Bedford Town.
The draw was 1-1 at King’s Lynn, whilst the defeats were against Macclesfield ( 1-2 ), Buxton ( 0-1 ), Radcliffe ( 1-3 ) and Merthyr Town ( 1-3 ).
The Quakers were on good run of form, with 5 wins and a draw in their last six league outings.
Darlo’s cup form had been mixed. They started the FA Cup with a 3-1 win at step 4 Bottle and then had an impressive 3-1 home win over AFC Fylde after a 2-2 away draw. In the 4th Qualifying Round, they then slumped to an embarrassing 0-6 home defeat to fellow National League North side AFC Telford in front of 2,032, their highest crowd of the season to-date.
In the FA Trophy, Darlington fell at the first hurdle, going out 2-3 at step 3 FC United of Manchester.
The average league attendance so far this season was 1,317, with the highest being the 1,756 that witnessed a 1-0 win over Spennymoor in November.
Darlington Squad
Ten of the 14 players who appeared for Darlington in last season’s game at Oxford are still with the club, including keeper Peter Jameson, whose had visited Marsh Lane the year before with Hartlepool, and so had let in 7 goals in his two visits. Jameson is now a coach at Gateshead, and is playing on loan for Darlington.
Striker Cedric Main has Dutch and Surinamese citizenship and previously played for Blyth Spartans. Welsh full-back Scott Barrow had Newport County, Gateshead and York City on his CV and right-back Ben Hedley played twice for Morecambe in League Two.
Four of the new players are on loan. Two were youngsters from Middlesborough getting experience, midfielders Charlie Lennon and Max Howells, but playmaker Will McGowan was on loan from Gateshead and former Northern Ireland Under 21 international Paddy McLaughlin was on loan from York City, and had previously played for Grimsby, Hartlepool and Gateshead.
Forward Tom Allen was ex-Accrington Stanley, Greenock Morton, Spennymoor and Gateshead, and Aiden Rutledge was another ex-Gateshead player.
Darlington’s manager was ex-Newcastle, Aston Villa, Everton, WBA and Sheffield Wednesday full-back/midfielder Steve Watson.
Matchday Information
Darlington’s journey to Oxford was around 220 miles via the A1 and M1, which would normally take around four hours, so they faced over an eight-hour round trip. Darlington had brought one supporters' coach and it looked like there were over 100 Darlo fans at the match.
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.
There had been some showers prior to the start of the match but it had stopped raining at the 15.00 kick-off time and there was some patches of blue sky. The temperature was 11 degrees.
Bet365 made Darlington narrow favourites at 13/10, with Oxford City at 6/4 and the draw at 5/2.
Darlington made just one change from the dramatic victory at Bedford with centre-back Elliott Forbes replacing the suspended Toby Lee. Oxford City had shaken up the pack with four changes and were playing without a recognised striker with Josh Parker and Isaac Westendorf missing from the matchday squad. Instead, wingers DJ Campton-Sturridge and Brayden Daniel were up-front, with Daniel making his first start of the season. Latrell Humphrey-Ewers returned in midfield and George Burroughs was in at right-back, with centre-back Chris Francis also missing. Midfielders Tom Scott and Alfie Potter dropped to the bench.
With Darlington’s normal black and white hoops clashing with Oxford City’s blue and white hoops, the visitors were playing in a change kit of yellow shirts, black shorts and yellow socks.
Match Report
Darlington kicked off and almost immediately Lennon sent a cross from the left wing to Oxford City keeper Jamie Pardington. City set off on a flowing move involving Jacob Roddy, Humphrey-Ewers, Ewan Clark and Zac McEachran, with the latter teeing up captain Josh Ashby, whose shot from the edge of area arrowed into the bottom corner, giving Jameson no chance. It was 1-0 in the second minute.
Oxford City had recently played with a lack of confidence, leading to a fear of taking risks and playing safety first football. Perhaps the early goal would give them a lift to play the vibrant football Hoops supporters knew they were capable of.
McEachran then forced a corner which Clark took, but Charlie Wiggett running in, just failed to reach it and the ball bounced off for a goal-kick.
Darlington were first seen as an attacking threat in the 5th minute. Main won a header ahead of Wiggett to put Lennon in space on the left, who played a ball inside for McGowan to shoot from the edge of the area, but the effort went high over the bar. It was a decent opportunity but a poor finish.
Daniel was seeing plenty of ball on the right-wing for the home side, and put Campton-Sturridge into space inside the Darlington area, and his pull-back reached Ashby, but the shot from a narrow angle was well saved by Jameson. A minute later Daniel skipped past Darlo left-back Hedley but the ball into the goal mouth was fractionally ahead of Campton-Sturridge. Daniel looked to have the beating of Hedley every time he received the ball.
In the 10th minute Darlington won a free-kick close to the left-hand corner flag. Lennon’s delivery was headed away by Roddy, and the home side produced a flowing passing move featuring Burroughs, McEachran and Daniel to send Campton-Sturridge scampering into the Darlington penalty area but with no support he opted to pass back to McEachran to keep possession.
The Hoops seemed to be capable of passing through the Darlington backline at will and McEachran and Daniel combined to release Burroughs, but his ball into the area was just ahead of Campton-Sturridge and Clark. McEachran’s glorious cross-field pass then enabled Daniel to run into the penalty area but the cross was blocked by Hedley and rebounded off the City teenager for a goal-kick.
When Darlington next attacked, Clark was alert to cover back to deny Howells at the expense of a corner. A Darlington head managed to reach the corner, but it lacked power and Daniel cleared from close to his own line, and City again swiftly counter-attacked through Campton-Sturridge and Clark, but McEachran, unmarked inside the Darlington area, was unable to control the pass to him and the chance was gone.
With 23 minutes on the clock, Main won a corner for the visitors, which was played short, only for Platt to play an awful pass and Oxford City broke, but fortunately for the visitors Howells read the danger and tracked back to concede a corner as Clark was about to shoot.
Two minutes later Lennon played a ball in from the left which Main missed. Keeper Pardington was initially wrong footed, but recovered to dive to his left to gather. At the other end, Humphrey-Ewers chipped the ball over the flat Darlington defence but the ball was just a little too strong for Daniel to get to, and Jameson came off his line to claim.
McEachran then played an incisive through ball to Campton-Sturridge to run down the right-hand channel, and the makeshift forward attempted to pick-out the on-rushing Roddy, but Platt got in the way.
Rutledge fell over theatrically inside the Oxford City penalty area and failed to impress the referee, and The Hoops swiftly attacked. Campton-Sturridge and Clark saw efforts blocked but the ball rolled to McEachran who shot through a crowd of players into the far corner. 2-0 with 33 minutes played.
It soon got better for the home side. McEachran turned Barton this way and that before taking a shot that took a deflection and looped over the keeper to crash against the crossbar. The ball fell to Campton-Sturridge, who fired into the roof of the next from 6 yards. 3-0 after 36 minutes.
At this point the rain returned but it didn’t dampen Oxford City’s play as McEachran, Clark and Daniel cut their way through the visitors’ defence, but again Howells was back to make an important tackle.
With 5 minutes of the first half remaining, a Darlington corner bounced across the goalmouth with no-one on hand to apply a finishing touch. Lennon kept the ball in play and played inside to Hedley, but the optimistic 30 yarder was easily blocked and City broke again. McEachran put Daniel clear, but after cutting inside, his left-footed effort went narrowly wide, although Jameson appeared to have it covered.
Main then ran into the Oxford City area but his fierce drive was blocked by Wiggett and the ball went out for a throw-in. The ball was played into the danger zone and after some pin-ball City were able to clear. Lennon put a cross back into the area, where Johnson headed away.
As the game moved into added on time, Darlington carelessly gave the ball away near the half-way line and Ashby’s pass through the heart of the Darlo defence to put Daniel clear with just the keeper to beat. Daniel could have played a simple square pass to give Campton-Sturridge a tap-in but opted instead to go for glory, and Jameson made a brave save. It should have been 4-0 and the referee blew his whistle to end the first-half.
The Oxford City supporters were probably in disbelief that their side were leading the team in 4th position by three goals, but it could easily have been more.
The rain had cleared up by the time the second half commenced. After the home side failed to take advantage of Darlington giving the ball away again, McGowan went down far too easily inside the Oxford City area but was ignored by the referee. There may have been some slight contact, but referees these days do not look kindly on exaggerated falls like this one.
City were still looking dangerous and McEachran and Clark combined to roll a pass for Ashby to run onto but his hammered effort was well saved by Jameson and the ball was put out for a corner before Clark could pounce on the loose ball.
McEachran then put Clark clear, but the offside flag was raised well before Clark but the ball into the net.
Both sides made surprising substitutions as to Hedley’s relief, Oxford City took off Daniel, and Darlington withdrew Howells, who along with McGowan had looked their most effective performer.
The massed Darlo fans behind the goal screamed for a penalty when Main was chopped down, but the referee gave a free-kick just outside the area. Lennon sent a dangerous ball towards the top corner which Pardington punched away. McGowan took the corner, and Maskell’s glancing header flew across the goal but narrowly wide.
Darlington were gradually racking up the pressure, and Pardington punched away another McGowan free-kick.
In an increasing rare Oxford City attack, Ashby, Campton-Sturridge and Potter combined to find Clark on the left-hand touchline, and the midfielder cut inside and sent a curling effort just wide of the far upright.
Darlington won a free-kick on the left-hand side of the pitch, and McGowan delivered an inviting delivery for Rutledge to power a header past the helpless Pardington to take the score to 3-1 with 68 minutes played.
Almost immediately Main ran to the Oxford City byline but Pardington intercepted his cross. The tension of the home supporters could be felt as Darlington sniffed a come-back.
As the rain returned again, Maskell committed a nasty late tackle as Johnson made a clearance, but the referee only awarded the free-kick and kept his cards in his pocket.
McGowan was wrestled to the floor for a Darlo free-kick 30 yards out but a good position was wasted as Rutledge, perhaps still euphoric after his goal, sent the free-kick harmlessly over the bar.
The home fans nerved were calmed by a fourth Oxford City goal. McGowan was dispossessed near the half-way line by Clark and the ball was prodded forward by McEachran to put Campton-Sturridge clear. With Jameson coming off his line, Campton-Sturridge showed great composure to calmly lift the ball over the keeper and into the empty net. It felt like it was now game over with the score 4-1 and just 14 minutes left to play.
A Darlington cross was headed clear to Campton-Sturridge who laid off to Humphrey-Ewers and then sprinted clear onto the return pass. As Campton-Sturridge attempted to go around Jameson he was brought down and the referee pointed to the spot. Although captain Ashby is The Hoops regular penalty taker, there was little chance of Campton-Sturridge not taking the spot-kick with a hat-trick in prospect. Campton-Sturridge slammed his kick down the middle as Jameson dived to his left. 5-1 with 83 minutes played.
There was still time for Jameson to make another save from Campton-Sturridge, and substitute Kauan to get to the byline only to see his pass intercepted. For Darlington, McLaughlin volleyed tamely at Pardington and Allen shot well wide.
At the final whistle, Oxford City were deserved winners but the league table didn’t look a great deal better as they only moved up one place. They will need a lot more performances like this to move away from danger. After today’s horror show, Darlington dropped to 5th place, and will be hoping they defend a lot better when players return from suspension and injury.
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsG5nugacwQ
Oxford City : Pardington – Burroughs, Wiggett, Johnson, Roddy - Ashby, Humphrey-Ewers, McEachran ( Scott ), Clark – Daniel ( Potter ), Campton-Sturridge ( Kauan )
Darlington FC : Jameson – Barton ( Stanton ), Platt, Forbes, Hedley – Howells ( Maskell ), McGowan, McLaughlin, Lennon ( Allan ) - Rutledge, Main
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