St Albans City 3

(Bakare 63, 70, Ngakam 90)

Oxford City 2

(Blossom 20, Woodley 58)

Oxford City let slip a two-goal lead before being beaten in the last minute as their Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division promotion challenge suffered a setback at St Albans City on Saturday.

The visitors looked to be on course for another valuable three points after goals Wayne Blossom and Aaron Woodley put them in charge.

But St Albans stormed back to level the game, before shattering City by grabbing a winner in the dying seconds when Cedric Ngakam converted a right-wing cross.

Mike Ford’s side had started brightly and a Steve Basham strike went wide, before Danny Hart’s effort struck a City upright.

However, City took the lead after 20 minutes when Blossom headed home Darren Pond’s left-wing corner via the underside of the bar for his second goal in as many games since returning to the starting line-up.

Pond then almost scored a wonder goal after keeper Jason Mooney’s long clearance bounced perfectly for him to smash a volley, which scraped the crossbar as it went over for a goal kick.

But City doubled their lead just before the hour-mark when Declan Benjamin crossed from the right for Woodley to slip the ball pass Nick Jupp.

St Albans pulled one back five minutes later with Sakho Bakare heading home substitute Sean Shields’s cross at the far post.

Shields’s wing play was causing City problems and he also set up the equaliser in the 70th minute when Mooney failed to hold his centre, and Bakare bundled the ball in.

St Albans were now in the ascendancy, and it was agony for City at the death as Ngakam grabbed the winner.

Despite the defeat, City remain fourth, but they are now nine points behind leaders Brackley – who beat Cambridge City 4-2 – with two games in hand.

Oxford City: Mooney, Clarke, Blossom, Ballard, Pond (Barcelos 75) Willmott, Benjamin, Malone, Basham (Lyon 55) Woodley, Martin. Subs not used: Bell, Learoyd, McCloughlin.

Referee: K Kirkbride (Uxbridge).

Attendance: 414.