FOOTBALL: City comeback is in vain
11:45pm Tuesday 19th August 2008
Oxford City suffered their second defeat in succession in the British Gas Business Southern League Premier Division as they went down to Hitchin at Court Place Farm on Tuesday night.
Although they made a spirited effort to come back from 3-0 down, it was too big a task against well organised opponents.
Hitchin went ahead on seven minutes from a quick break when Paul Barnes set up Ian Draycott, whose shot hit the bottom of an upright, giving Jon Woolf a simple tap-in.
City keeper Steve Smith did well to turn a Barnes effort away for a corner soon afterwards.
With the home side finding it difficult to create chances, Hitchin netted their second on 46 minutes through Draycott.
Worse was to come after 63 minutes when a strike from Draycott came back off the bar to Barnes, who made it 3-0.
City quickly pulled a goal back through Yashwa Romeo, who headed home Mark Bell's corner.
The goal gave City a lift, and they reduced the arrears further when Derwayne Stupple brought down Bell inside the box and James Saulsbury scored from the spot.
But it was too little, too late.
Oxford C: Smith, Saulsbury, Weedon, Gunn, Pond (Redknap 61), Allaway, Bell, Malone, Faulconbridge, Baird (Romeo 59), Lyon. Subs not used: Davis, Posey, Avery.
Att: 210.