OXFORD City put in a scintillating first half display as they brushed aside St Albans City to write one of the most famous chapters in the club’s history.

The Hoops won 4-0 in front of a record crowd at Court Place Farm in their Vanarama National League South play-off final, meaning they’ll be competing in the highest division in non-league next season.

The 2023/24 campaign will be the first time that City have played at that high a level, and their promotion final saw them blow away their opponents.

Hoops skipper Reece Fleet gave his team the lead within three minutes, before Zac McEachran doubled that advantage just 11 minutes later and Josh Ashby gave City a 3-0 lead just after the half-hour mark.

Josh Parker sealed an emphatic first half display in front of the 3,100 supporters packed in at Court Place Farm, when he added a fourth goal in stoppage time.

Hoops head coach Ross Jenkins named an unchanged side from the one which beat Worthing in the semi-final, while for the visitors, 28-goal Shaun Jeffers was again named on the bench.

Jeffers ended the regular season as the second-highest scorer in National League South and was named in the division’s team of the season.

The away side had a sniff of goal though within 60 seconds when a combination of Mitchell Weiss and Chay Cooper tested Chris Haigh.

However, Jenkins’ side took the lead when Fleet fired in to round off a lovely, patient move down the left-hand side.

Alfie Potter and Lewis Coyle linked up, before McEachran took control and laid the ball on a plate for Fleet, who arrowed his shot low in the bottom right corner from the edge of the penalty box.

St Albans launched a dangerous-looking counter-attack with seven minutes on the clock, but Cooper sent his shot from the edge of the penalty area well over the crossbar.

Potter then showed his class when he drifted past his marker in the midfield and played Parker in down the right channel, however McEachran failed to capitalise.

It mattered little as just a few moments later, the 27-year-old midfielder doubled the Hoops advantage.

The hosts pressed high and Parker forced a mistake out of St Albans goalkeeper Dylan Berry, with McEachran remaining calm to apply the finish.

Potter’s afternoon was then cut short midway through the first half when he pulled up and was replaced by Latrell Humphrey-Ewers.

Following a spell of possession from St Albans, the Hoops kept their shape and then put themselves in dreamland after a penalty appeal was turned down.

A possible handball from a St Albans player in the box was turned away by referee Ben Atkinson, but the Hoops made it 3-0 when Ashby smashed the ball in from the left of the penalty area.

McEachran was again the creator as he touched the ball off for Ashby, who ran onto the ball and smashed it home.

St Albans boss David Noble had seen enough and brought on Jeffers in place of centre back Callum Adebiyi, as the visitors changed shape to desperately try and get themselves back into the game.

The Hoops added a fourth goal though to wrap up a ruthless opening 45 minutes when Parker chopped inside Aidan Francis-Clarke and finished with aplomb to stroke the ball past Berry from the centre of the penalty area.

The away side had the first glimpse of goal five minutes into the second period when Jeffers unleashed a powerful effort from 25 yards, but Haigh was able to first the ball over his bar.

At the other end, Ashby tested Berry with a crack from the right channel of the box but the goalkeeper was able to grab hold of the ball.

The second period was played mainly in Hoops territory but the hosts kept their shape superbly.

On the occasion when St Albans got in behind, Lewis Miccio was able to get a block in and thwart substitute Joe Neal from the corner of the six-yard box.

Jenkins made his second alteration of the game with just over 10 minutes to go when the influential McEachran was withdrawn in place of Joe Wilson.

The closing stages were light on goalmouth action, however Zane Banton arrowed a left-footed effort into Haigh’s near post, but the goalkeeper was able to scoop up the ball with relative ease.

Parker was given a standing ovation when he was substituted in the final two minutes, with Klaidi Lolos coming on in his place.

The two minutes of stoppage time passed without incident as the Hoops coasted to victory on a fantastic afternoon for the club.