Boat Race Rivals Cancel Each Other Out - Oxford City vs. Cambridge City

Covered standing at Court Place Farm

As a lot of people from Oxford and Cambridge were heading in to London for the boat race, I was travelling to Oxford for the Southern League Premier Division match up between Oxford City and Cambridge City. I visited Milton Road earlier in the season for Cambridge's match with Bashley and straight after that game I put this afternoon's game in the diary. On that day, Cambridge destroyed Bashley by four goals to nil which included an impressive hat trick from Craig Hammond. Both sides were in the play off positions and Oxford still had a chance of catching league leaders Brackley. In the reverse fixture, Cambridge came out on top with a two nil in front of 450 spectators.

Kick off with the seated cover in the background.

The games opening stages produce few chances as the game becomes quite cagey as you could imagine with a game like this at this point of the season. Cambridge have a lot of the ball in the final third but they either misjudge the pass or someone falls over. Oxford have the first real chance when the Cambridge keeper fails to gather the lofted ball forward but he is saved by a defender on the line. They have another chance but the striker fails to keep the ball down when unmarked at the back post. Cambridge have a few corners towards the end of the half but the game is goalless at the break.

Cambridge attack in the first half. The clubhouse is in the background.

A point is not much use to either side and both try to attack in the second half but the game remains scrappy. The Oxford keeper has to make his first real save when he tips an effort over the cross bar and they again come close but still can't take the lead. The final five minutes of the game prove to be the most frantic moments of the entire match. First of all the Cambridge defender is given a straight red for pulling back the Oxford attacker when he was the last man. Oxford have a few half chances in the final moments but Cambridge survive to claim a point. 

Cambridge look for a winner in the second half.

Court Place Farm is a relatively new ground and is located on a sports complex close to Old Marston which is quite a bit away from Oxford Rail Station. The 14A bus departs once an hour at twenty past from close to the station and will drop you off right outside the ground. The bus journey takes about twenty minutes and the train journey from Paddington takes around fifty minutes. I didn't see any pubs near the ground but there a lot in Oxford City Centre which is a short walk from the station. The clubhouse is quite large and had at least one hand pulled ale.

Oxford fans urge their team forward in the closing moments.