PREVIEW: Oxford City (a)

CHORLEY are back on the road this weekend as they head down south to face Oxford City at the MGroup Stadium.

Elliot Taylor’s late brace earned the Magpies a point at home to Brackley Town on Bank Holiday Monday, leaving Andy Preece’s side with eight points from their opening six games of the season.

Saturday’s hosts Oxford City are flying high with 13 points, sitting third in the Enterprise National League North table.

Last Time Out

Chorley picked up two points from their two games across the Bank Holiday weekend, with Monday’s 2-2 draw with Brackley following their point on the road at Merthyr Town.

After a long trip to South Wales, the Magpies were back in action less than 72 hours later, forcing Andy Preece into four changes, including a first start for midfielder George Horbury 365 days after injury ended his 2025/26 campaign early.

The hosts were given a let off in the opening minutes of the game when Kai Morris failed to get a shot off after Tahvon Campbell’s hard work to create the chance.

At the other end of the pitch, Anjola Popoola did well to shrug off a Brackley defence and get a cross off to Taylor, but it was too powerful for his strike partner to control.

The first goal of the game came in the 26th minute, with Campbell’s skill and effort high into Li-Bau Stowell’s goal giving the Saints the lead.

Into the second half, Jack Moore’s free-kick was kept out by Harrison Rhone’s tip over the bar as the Magpies looked for an equaliser.

However, they found themselves further behind when Campbell doubled his and his side’s tally with another good finish on the hour mark.

As time went on, Chorley were still struggling to grab that all important first goal, with substitute Lewis Salmon poking the ball wide of the onrushing Rhone.

But then it was Taylor who popped up in the 79th minute on the end of Adam Blakeman’s ball to help it home and halve the deficit.

And again it was the summer signing up front who came to the rescue for the Magpies, chasing onto Stowell’s long goal kick to nip in front of his opponent before sliding the ball past the Brackley goalkeeper and into the net for 2-2 in added time.

The draw extends their four-game unbeaten run and continues their turnaround after successive defeats at the start of the season.

Opposition Focus

Oxford City will pose another tough test for Andy Preece’s side, with the Hoops one of the form teams in the division.

Ross Jenkins has led his side to four wins from six so far with a draw with Harborough Town and defeat to Buxton the only times they have dropped points.

Monday’s game saw them pick up a 1-0 win at Worksop Town despite playing the final 25 minutes with 10 men after Tyrone Marsh’s sending off.

Former Northampton Town and Hashtag United man Scott Pollock scored the decisive goal for Jenkins’ team to continue their strong start and is their top-scorer, along with Marsh, on four goals.

Marsh netted 26 goals in 41 games for Bedford Town last year in this league and despite his red card in Oxford’s game, the 32-year-old will still be available this weekend before his suspension kicks in.

Manager Jenkins first took over the club in 2022, aged just 31, and he guided them to promotion to Step 1 for the first time in their history the following year.

However, they were immediately relegated and Jenkins left for Boreham Wood that summer, but after being sacked just eight games into his time there, he returned to Oxfordshire for a second reign.

Since then, he has seen them finish 19th and 17th but their early season form suggests they will be challenging for higher honours this time around.

Pollock, like Marsh, was a summer arrival, joining from Brackley Town.

They also brought in winger Dillon de Silva from Sutton United, centre-back Ludwig Francillette from Morecambe and full-back duo Deago Nelson and Evan Humphries from West Bromwich Albion.

Marsh was a replacement for fellow experienced striker Josh Parker, who left in the summer, along with the likes of Isaac Westendorf, DJ Sturridge and George Burroughs.

Head-to-Head

Chorley struggled against the Hoops last season, picking up just one point.

That came in October’s 3-3 draw at the Grant Store Victory Park Stadium when the Magpies came back from 3-1 down to grab a point thanks to Adam Henley’s last-minute equaliser.

Harry Ibbitson and Craig Hewitt were the other players on the scoresheet that day.

In the reverse fixture, they fell to a 2-0 defeat as goals from Sturridge and Ewan Clark sealed the win for the hosts.

Match Details

Oxford City vs Chorley

Enterprise National League North

Saturday, September 5

3pm kick-off

The MGroup Stadium, Oxford, OX3 0NQ