Oxford City 1-2 Alfreton Town (National League North)
I’ve woken up to snow. And a good few inches at that, but by lunchtime the thaw sets in despite one or two clubs locally calling off their fixtures tonight, a quick look on the social channels and it’s game on in Oxford, who haven’t quite had it as bad as we did in the East Midlands overnight.
For Alfreton Town this is their first ever match with Oxford City, I’m told they have never even won in the county of Oxfordshire having previously drew a couple of times with Banbury, I’m surprised the two teams have never previously met having kicked around in the same echelons for some years, from 2012 when Alfreton were in the Conference Premier, Oxford were in the north, following Alfreton’s relegation in 2015, Oxford moved south, ever since Alfreton have stayed North and it wasn’t until City’s promotion to the National League, and relegation last season, have they found themselves as the unfortunate southern club to have to endure those northern nights again.
After a rocky start, Oxford have hit some form of late under their returning manager Ross Jenkins who started the season at Boreham Wood, they are unbeaten in five with just one defeat in eight, hovering over the drop zone and aiming to survive back-to-back relegations, whilst Alfreton have won their last two in league and cup, always a playoff candidate with their ‘direct’ long ball football which has you reminiscing of 80’s Wimbledon & Watford.
Snow scraped off my windscreen, I’m out the door for 3:30pm, down the M1 and across the A43, a stop off at Cherwell Valley services before a quick KFC and back on the road, arriving at the ground in Marston around 6:30pm where there’s already a queue to get in the car park.
The Venue
Next to Oxsrad Sports Centre which has a number of five-a-side pitches, it’s busy full of kitted up kids and parents as I head up the track towards the MGroup Stadium (better known as Court Place Farm).
The reception immediately in front glows under the dark black sky, I’m through the door asking for press access, they give me a lanyard with ‘visitor’ on it and tell me to walk to the left, and out the door besides the changing rooms entrance.
Following instructions, I enter the venue in the corner of the ground, the flat wide 3g pitch has a bit of snow surrounding the sides, shovelled over to the low fences that border the pitch, a lovely looking home with low propped up blue painted roofed stands, a huge scoreboard in one corner, I walk to my seat in the press area where Liam from Alfreton is already here, the clubs media man chatting away.
The press box half way housed in a small seated stand of about five rows high, the view is ok, but for a couple of pillars, the low roof above giving much needed protection on a cold night like this, I’ve got two hand warmers on the go and a huge coat and woolly hat on, as the music pumps out the speakers at ear drum breaking decibels, there’s only two people in the stadium, but neither one of us can hear each other think.
The Game
As kick off approaches the ground does fill up, it seems that everybody has been in the supporter’s bar where it’s warm, from nowhere 400 fans appear and finally a little atmosphere as the two teams get under way.
Oxford start well, they are up for the fight and neat on the ball, Alfreton their usual, head it, kick it, scrap and battle, it’s not very pretty, it never is, but one thing for sure when you play against a Billy Heath team, you know you’re in for some graft.
I’m impressed with Oxford and already take a shine to their much travelled football league level striker Josh Parker who looks a cut above, he’s already shown a couple of neat touches before out of nothing, Adam Lund falls over on the ball, Parker nips in, takes it around the goalkeeper and puts the home team one up, if there’s anyone you didn’t want to give the ball to, it’s him.
That mistake aside it’s not exactly action packed, but there’s plenty of action in a first half of ding-dong front and back battles, Alfreton smashing the life out of the ball, Oxford looking to break in numbers, there’s been a couple of bookings but chances few and far between, even Alfreton’s ‘famous’ long throw-ins have been mixed up to go short, it’s not one for the feint-hearted as I slowly watch the clock on the big screen tick hurriedly I hope, towards 45.
The Score
Liam isn’t happy with me, “I mean this in jest” he says, “but can you stop coming to watch us play? Because every time you come, we play shit”.
I reply “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you score a goal”. But he tells me Alfreton have only failed to score once in their last nine outings, I’m confident I’m not the curse as the Reds play much better in the second half, immediately on the front foot and penning Oxford in their own half.
There’s been a couple of sniffs as MacAulay saves well an effort from Salmon, but the changes made ahead of the hour are perhaps most telling to how this match goes, Alfreton twist first as the frustrated David Moyo, who’s battled hard without reward, is withdrawn for fellow striker Jake Day who within minutes wins his first three aerial duels against his opponent, then Oxford playmaker Zach McEachran is taken off, he’s not had a great night, but he keeps the ball and makes their team tick, within a minute of his departure, Alfreton level up.
They’ve been chucking balls into the box without reward, instead it’s a corner swung in low by Billy Whitehouse which is flicked in at the near post by apparently the heal of Adam Anson, a minute later the ball is bouncing again in the Oxford box, a header down to Jake Day who smashes home on the half volley from close range, the game turned on its head in just a few short seconds as the thirteen travelling away fans go crazy behind the goal.
From there, the away side do what they do best, get men behind the ball to head and kick away, in George Cantrill they have a midfielder, a captain, who runs after everything, there’s a couple of scary moments, Parker wants to do it alone, he cuts in and fires over, then a free kick on 86 he shoots straight through a wall and into the hands of a relieved Jake Askew, then late on as minute 90 rolls over to extras, his flick on sets lightening sub Corie Andrews through, he’s running at goal leaving the Alfreton centre halves in his wake, they tread hopeless water in some distance behind, but Andrews drills his shot low, across the face and inches wide, the best chance Oxford created to level, they won’t get a better one than that.
The Stars
It was sub striker Jake Day who made the difference with a telling contribution, a big man, not quite a big lump, but he has strength, power, a leap and a strike, that play to his strengths and you’ll get some reward.
I really like Alfreton’s left winger Billy Whitehouse who has a touch of quality and some real work ethic, in front of him, I’m impressed with no-nonsense left back Nathan Newell, who Liam tells me “signed from Buxton, were he couldn’t get in, before that he was at Sunderland Academy”.
Best player on the park though is George Cantrill who with his long locks and mucky beard just runs and runs and runs, he epitomises the Alfreton way of ‘getting fucking stuck in’. If ever a player suits how a club play, it is he.
For Oxford, they had neat and nice footballers who will have easier nights to strut their stuff, of those who stood out, along with the elegant Parker who’s at the end of a solid career which included spells at Gillingham, Charlton and Wycombe, is nineteen year old Jayden Carbon, who played down the right, he has speed and can move with the ball efficiently on the pitch, always playing forward in a positive manner, he’s been at Oxford and through the Academy since the age of 8, a nice story that hopefully continues with further progression.
The Verdict
I like Oxford City’s venue with its backdrop of high line trees and high rise buildings giving it an urban commuter belt feel, especially on a cold winter’s night, a nice ground and a nice club, who I feel are more southern, than northern, and there lies the problem with their current league status.
It’s a tough ask for their young side to travel to the likes of Darlington and South Shields whilst expecting to get results, they’ll do well to survive this season, then best they can hope for is a move back down south.
As for Alfreton, always in and around the promotion pack, they are fifth in the table and well in the mix, as usual I predict they’ll be there or thereabouts come May, and as for Liam, in the end after watching his team win, I could safely tell him, “At least I’m not the curse”.
The Teams
Oxford City: Jonathan MacAulay, Josh Ashby, Lewis Coyle, Reece Fleet, Zac McEachran (Corrie Andrews 63), Josh Parker, Alfie Potter (Tom Scott 46), Phil Croker, Jayden Carbon (Louis Walsh 90), Jacob Roddy, Aaron Drewe.
Alfreton Town: Jake Askew, Josh Clackstone, Max Hunt, Adam Lund, Adam Anson, Billy Whitehouse, George Cantrill, Liam Waldock (Jed Abbey 90), Lewis Salmon (Ahmed Salam 90), David Moyo (Jake Day 54), Nathan Newell.
7:45pm Kick Off. Tuesday 19th November 2024, Court Place Farm, Oxford (att 408).
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