Report: Oxford City 4-0 Warrington Town

Warrington Town’s miserable season is almost certain to end in relegation after a 4-0 humbling at struggling Oxford City.

Two goals from individual errors on the stroke of half-time put the hosts in front, and a heavily deflected free-kick and a neat Lewis Coyle strike rubbed salt in the Yellows wounds in the second half.

Paul Carden’s side are now 12 points adrift of safety with just seven games left to play, and look likely to return to the Northern Premier League next season.

There hadn’t been much in the game before the goals that both came in the last eight minutes of the first half.

Ben Hatton had a shot that shaved the left post, and Joe Rodwell-Grant, playing up front in the absence of Josh Amis, had a couple of half openings without really testing the ‘keeper.

But the opening goal perhaps summed up the Yellows' woe, a short backpass by Hamish Douglas meant Dan Atherton had to challenge the oncoming attacker, and the ball span loose for Jayden Carbon to fire into the unguarded goal.

The second goal was even worse, as Atherton missed Coyle’s corner and the ball bounced in off Peter Clarke at the back post into his own goal for 2-0 by half-time.

A last-ditch tackle by Jay Harris prevented Carbon adding a third, but one did come 11 minutes in to the second half when Josh Ashby’s free-kick took a wicked deflection off Harris and wrong-footed a helpless Atherton.

Even the fourth goal had an element of fortune about it, Carbon’s shot bouncing up off Clarke and spinning to be knocked down for Coyle to fire a smart left-footed shot, low in to the far corner off the inside of the post.

It could have been worse, had Atherton not saved in typically reactive fashion to deny Zac McEachran’s first-timer, and substitute Ollie Southern diverted Tom Scott’s goalbound effort over the bar.

The Yellows were even forced to end the match with 10 men, Hatton forced off with an injury in the rather unneccessary seven added minutes.

Warrington Town are next in action on Tuesday night, when Stalybridge Celtic visit the Cal.Delivery Stadium for the Cheshire Senior Cup semi-final.

Oxford City: Walker, Burley, Ezennolim, Ashby (Croker), Coyle, McEachran, Carroll, Parker (Vaughan), Scott, Carbon (Andrews), Drewe. Unused subs: Roddy, Putman.

Warrington Town: Atherton, James, Clarke, Douglas, Hont (Southern), Harris (O’Neill), Ackroyd (Dixon), McDonald, Hatton, Rodwell-Grant (Williams), Green (Doro).

Post-match reaction