Oxford City 1,Wycombe Wands 1(aet)

(played at Wycombe, abandoned

after 120 mins)

By NIALL JEGER DESPITE being so cruelly denied a result, Oxford City gave Wycombe Wanderers the fright of their lives at Adams Park last night.

After snatching a draw in the first round of the FA Cup nine days ago, few expected Paul Lee's battlers could match their Herculean efforts in the replay.

But City surpassed all expectations and were leading for 19 minutes through a sensational goal from 18-year-old prodigy Dwaine Strong.

He struck five minutes before the break when he collected a defence-splitting long pass from Shaun Wimble.

His electrifying pace left the static Wycombe defence for dead, he coolly rounded Wanderers keeper Martin Taylor, picked his spot and fired in a low drive for a sensational opener.

After conceding a 59th-minute equaliser, City battled to the end, and held their own through injury and extra time. And they made an explosive start that caught Wanderers cold.

Wimble showed that City were not lacking confidence when he unleashed a 25-yard shot that Taylor collected in the first minute of play.

Terry Sweeney made a probing run and his menacing cross was only just plucked away from the head of Strong by Taylor.

In a great move, Sweeney picked out Strong near the Wycombe corner flag. He squared the ball for Davy who shot over from eight yards. And all of this came in the opening six minutes!

After starting on the bench last time, Strong was out to impress and, with several Premiership scouts in the crowd, that's exactly what he did.

In the 13th minute, he made a long run from a wide position, cut inside Jamie Bates into the area and ghosted past Matthew Lawrence. He was let down by a weak shot at the keeper.

Wycombe's first chance came in the 18th minute when Sean Devine's sublime pass split the City defence, Paul Emblen sped through and forced a tremendous diving save from Alan Foster. Wycombe raised their game and created a sustained spell of pressure. But they could not beat City's 24-year-old accountant keeper.

Foster managed to stick a leg out to deny Andrew Baird's scrambled shot and, on the half hour, parried Alan Beeton's goal-bound header.Wycombe's Maurice Harkin received the first booking for needlessly kicking the ball away and that allowed City to relieve the pressure.From Wimble's inswinging corner that was only half-cleared, Sweeney toe-poked a weak shot that Lawrence saved off his line in the 32nd minute.

Wimble's snap free kick was headed just over by Richard Peirson and then Strong fired City ahead in the 40th minute.

After the break, Wycombe were more clinical in their sweeping moves forward. City were defending well with Garry Smart, Julian Dark, Hayward and Peirson standing tall. But they could do little when the equaliser came in the 59th minute.

Simpson collected a quick short corner and curled a shot past Foster into the top corner of the net.

City didn't crumble as expected. They pushed up and Sweeney had a shot saved in the 67th minute after some classy interplay between Davy and Morrisey.

Davy was replaced by striker Tate Hulbert but it was Wycombe's Devine who could have clinched the match. After spooning two efforts over the bar, the former Barnet man shot wide in the 87th minute with just Foster to beat.

Ex-City striker Jermaine McSporran came off the bench at the start of extra time and tested Foster in the first period. But Foster was the hero of extra time with some stunning saves.

Substitute Stewart McCleary should have won it for City when Dannie Bulman lost possession, but his shot let him down with just Taylor to beat.

City faced six corners in the last five minutes but held firm until Devine slotted home. But a heartbreaking end to a glorious chapter in City's history was averted thanks to the off-side flag.

Then confusion reigned as City's hopes of a shock win in the penalty shoot-out went up in smoke.

Story date: Wednesday 10 November

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.