On the 21st of April 2024, Oxford City U16s travelled to Thame to play Banbury United Youth in the finals of the FA County Cup. Having won the Cup for the last two consecutive seasons, Oxford City were keen to maintain their streak and were prepared to battle it out for this year's trophy. 

City was playing against a tough Banbury side, who had beaten Bure Park and Goring Robins to secure their place in the finals. 

The overwhelming support of the player’s family and friends created an exciting atmosphere in the stadium. The match was very intense from the start with great performances from both sides but still no goals at half time. 

As the second half began, both teams were determined to score and take the cup home. After multiple attempts on both sides, Endri scored first placing City in the lead. Fifteen minutes later, Ilia Milkovic scored a second goal for Oxford City,  an unstoppable curl into the top left corner.

Banbury fought back and Brooklyn Lobato scored with 15 minutes to go keeping their hopes alive. But City managed to stay ahead and win the Oxfordshire County Cup. Milkovic, who scored City’s winning goal, said “It is a huge achievement for the team to win the Cup and it shows that our hard work has paid off”.

Oxford City will now play Clanfield in the semi-finals of the League Cup for a place in the Finals against Summertown Stars. Will City be able to add to their trophy cabinet? As a Summertown Stars player, I certainly hope not ;)