As the Coasters hit the road for the final time before a succession of three home games, Murray’s men are set for a big afternoon against Oxford City in the National League.
Sitting just above the Coasters in the table are City, who will be looking to put daylight between themselves and the relegation zone. We take a look at our hosts for the afternoon at the RAW Charging Stadium.
The Lowdown
The Coasters travel down to Oxfordshire following two straight defeats and a lack of attacking presence in both games.
A 2-0 home defeat to Woking FC was quickly followed up by a 2-1 away defeat to Barnet in midweek, despite Fylde taking the lead early through a Danny Whitehead strike.
Adam Murray’s men will look to take all three points home with them in what is a massive game at the bottom of the table.
The hosts come into this game on the back of four straight defeats and conceding 12 goals whilst scoring once, and with the games coming thick and fast, the part-time element to Oxford’s side is being truly tested, which can also be seen with a downturn in results.
The Manager – Ross Jenkins
Jenkins is one of the younger managers in the National League, which can be seen by his bright and bold ideas for his Oxford side.
However, before Jenkins turned his career to coaching, he was once a player, starting his career at Watford FC. He spent six seasons with the Hornets between 2008 and 2014, making 81 appearances overall.
Jenkins also spent two loan spells away from the club at Plymouth Argyle and Barnet FC – however, he only made seven appearances between the two clubs and never seemed to make a massive impression at either club.
After departing the Hornets in 2014, Jenkins struggled to find a club, and it wasn’t until September 2015 that he moved to Crawley Town, where he only made 14 appearances.
This led to him cancelling his contract and making the bold decision to change countries, moving to Romania and joining Poli Timisoara. Once again, Jenkins lasted less than a year, making nine appearances.
He then moved across Europe to Bulgaria and joined Pirin Blagoevgrad, where he made 11 appearances in a six-month contract.
Jenkins finished his career at Hamilton Academical, retiring at the age of 28. Four years later, he found himself in his first managerial job at Oxford City, originally joining as a caretaker manager in January 2022 before making the job permanent in March 2022.
Although he is relatively new to management, Jenkins achieved success at the first time of asking and managed to take Oxford City to the National League for the first time in their history.
With two wins in their opening games and pushing the likes of Rochdale and Chesterfield all the way, Jenkins has made sure Oxford are no easy pushovers.
Key Players
Nya Kirby – The ex-Crystal Palace youngster joined City in the summer and is a coup for this side. Spells on loan at Blackpool and Tranmere prove his skill and value. A midfielder with an eye for a pass and the skill to get forward is a huge asset for Oxford.
Pierre Fonkeu – The Belgian forward joined in the summer from fellow National League South side Dartford FC and has been quite the addition, scoring three goals despite having limited game time.
Josh Parker – Another forward who has impressed since moving up from the National League South. Five goals this season proves he can score amongst the best, and his goals may be a vital asset for Oxford this season.
From The Coasters Camp
Previous Meetings
6th September 2014 – Oxford City 1-8 AFC Fylde – National League North
Goalscorers: Oxford City – Darren Pond
Fylde – Ritchie Allen (X2), Danny Rowe (X2), Micheal Barnes( X2), Micheal Potts, Josh Green (OG).
17th January 2015 – AFC Fylde 2-1 Oxford City – National League North
Goalscorers: Fylde – Joe Booth, Ritchie Allen
Oxford City – Tom Winters
Opposition Form
City have made a similar start to the season as the Coasters – however, they have converted more games into draws than Murray’s men.
The part-time side have certainly made an impression on the National League and have made more of a fight than some may have predicted. Impressive displays against Solihull and Chesterfield prove that they can fight with the best – however, doing it all season may be a struggle for the City, with the part-time status being a massive factor.
Match Guide – Visiting the RAW Charging Stadium
https://www.oxfordcityfc.co.uk/match-guide-oxford-city-v-afc-fylde
Match Preview is written by Benji Jenkinson.
