Goals from Adi Yussuf and Javier Rodriguez gave Oxford City their first home win in the Vanarama Conference North as they beat Gainsborough Trinity 2-0 at Marsh Lane on Saturday, writes Matthew Bruce.
City’s last two matches had both been nine-goal extravaganzas, but this was a much closer affair.
The hosts, fresh from their 7-2 thrashing of Boston United during the week, looked threatening and could have scored twice in the opening two minutes.
Yussuf hooked a shot narrowly over on the turn and new signing Claudio Hoban almost opened his account for the club, heading a Paul Stonehouse cross just wide of the far post.
But it was top-scorer Yussuf, who deservedly put City ahead after 12 minutes with an exceptional individual effort, driving through several challenges before shooting into the bottom corner.
Alejandro-Adrian Santiago spurned a golden chance to double the lead when he was granted a free header from a corner, but his effort went wide.
And Gainsborough could have equalised shortly before the break, City keeper Mark Scott doing well to keep out a close-range header effort from Paul Beesley.
After the break, City had several chances to kill the game off, but were let down by their final touch.
Yussuf missed several chances to net his second, firing into the side netting shortly after the restart following an excellent one-two with Rodriguez.
The visitors pressed forward, but while they were unable to carve out many openings they were vulnerable on the counter-attack.
Substitute Tom Winters was the beneficiary of one such break, striking the bar with his attempted lob.
Yussuf was also denied by the woodwork when he broke free of the Trinity backline, beating goalkeeper Jan Budtz with his strike, but not the upright.
But as the match entered stoppage time, City finally made the points safe, Yussuf linking up well with Rodriguez again, laying it off for the Spaniard to expertly round the keeper and fire home.
Oxford City: Scott, Benjamin (Wilson 57), Stonehouse, Pond, Lapoujade, Santiago, Hoban (Winters 52), Mullings, Yussuf, Rodriguez, Isaac (Barcelos 64). Subs not used: Green, Del Alamo.
Attendance: 218.
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