warm and dry afternoon, but unfortunately a sparse crowd, saw Wayne Blossom back in the starting line-up with the captain’s armband as City looked to shrug off the effects of the mid-week defeat and maintain their play-off pretensions.
An even beginning saw Arlesey gain a free-kick within striking distance of Jason Mooney’s goal but Dan Hutchins’ attempt went harmlessly past the post; while a foul on Darren Pond produced a free-kick for City in a similar position at the other end a couple of minutes later but Steve Basham’s shot was comfortably held by Nick Bussey.
Both sides were occasionally being disconcerted by an unpredictable bounce on the drying pitch and a friendly bobble took the ball through to Chris Dillon with nine minutes gone but his run and eventual cross from the bye-line could find no waiting yellow shirt.
City began to get the better of the play and two corners in rapid succession caused considerable difficulty in the Arlesey box but there was no one on hand to provide a final touch, and the second almost led to problems at the other end as Arlesey broke quickly and recently-signed Mitchell Cole brought a fine diving save from Mooney.
City were now producing chances at regular intervals. Blossom delivered a dipping volley from a headed clearance that was close to the target; Declan Benjamin was first to Andy Ballard’s long throw but fired inches wide of the post; Blossom powered a header from Aaron Woodley’s corner-kick into Bussey’s gloves, and Liam Malone saw a goalbound effort spin off a defender for a corner.
Arlesey were finding it hard to clear attacks but were keeping their goal intact and, on an irregular foray forward, Drewe Broughton’s extreme-range lob almost deceived Mooney as it dropped onto the top of the net.
City finally took the lead in the 35th minute as City’s sixth corner reached Woodley beyond the far post. As he took a pace forward he looked to be tripped, but the ball rolled free to Blossom who hit it firmly past Bussey.
Basham kept Bussey on his toes with a dipping volley that the keeper held well, while, at the Clubhouse End, Cole’s curling centre eluded Mooney but was headed clear by Chris Wilmott.
With the break approaching ex-City man David Perpetuini surrendered a corner kick under pressure from Benjamin. Blossom produced a powerful header from Pond’s flag-kick to hit the defender on the post and Basham almost unwittingly bundled in the rebound.
Unsurprisingly the visitors worked hard at the restart to get back into the game. Ryan Frater fired a free kick from twenty yards past Mooney’s left-hand post, and Dillon might have done better as he broke behind the defence onto a long pass only to screw his finish off target.
The home side now seemed rather tentative in attack and on three or four occasions a City player had the opportunity to accelerate into open spaces but awaited reinforcements and the forward momentum evaporated. The best chance of this period of play fell to Woodley who found Bussey equal to his rising shot from fifteen yards.
Lee Allinson’s pile-driver of a shot on the hour could easily have given the visitors a lifeline had it not taken a deflection from a City defender and looped away for a corner. Jordan Patrick, on for Broughton, broke clear of his marker to advance ominously but was denied by James Clarke at the expense of another corner which was headed clear to Woodley who moved forward purposefully. The ball progressed through midfield and across to Benjamin to make ground on the right before feeding Woodley just inside the box and the striker turned and finished with aplomb on 63 minutes.
The final quarter saw few chances carved out by either side with Arlesey struggling to find a way to prise open City’s defence, and City, for their part, apparently content with the three goal lead.
City’s best chance of the quarter came as Bussey left his area with a pass-back only to lose possession, but Michael Lyon wasn’t quite able to get the ball back into the danger zone before the keeper regained his position.
Arlesey forced three corners in this period but none put Mooney under any pressure and the game seemed to be drifting to a conclusion as, with a minute remaining, City conceded a free kick 25 yards out. Hutchins delivered well and the half-clearance fell to Lee Allinson who moved into the box and was fouled. Chris Dillon struck the spot-kick firmly enough but Jason Mooney’s (extremely) full-length dive to his left pushed the ball to safety: a fine save.

Oxford City: Mooney, Clarke, Blossom, Ballard, Pond, Wilmott, Benjamin, Malone, Basham (Lyon 64), Woodley (Bell 75), Martin (Learoyd 67).