GREAT WAKERING ROV 0, OXFORD CITY 1: Another solid performance gave City three more Ryman Division 1 points on Saturday and the only surprise was that their margin of victory was not more emphatic.

Despite a late change after Lewis Craker became unavailable, City started well and in the eighth minute, Mark Simms and Andy Smith were a whisker away from converting an excellent low cross from James Charles.

Simms was denied by an offside flag, and in the 23rd minute, the ball fell kindly for Rovers when goalkeeper Dean Maloney lost a low cross from Justin Lee.

Two good crosses from Shaun Wimble were scrambled away, before Simms was again thwarted by an assistant's flag on the stroke of half-time.

If City had enjoyed the better of the first half, they came out to dominate the second. With keeper Steve Benbow an onlooker at the other end, Charles's powerful low drive shaved a post after he was set up by Lee.

The introduction of John Mitchell on the hour, giving City three up front, proved to be the decisive factor.

His first touch was to shoot against the inside of a post, and with 20 minutes left, he set up Charles, whose first touch let him down when he looked certain to score.

City at last found the target in the 73rd minute when Mitchell got away down the right to cross perfectly for a gleeful Simms to slam his shot high past Maloney.

Wimble went close to a City second and with five minutes left, Ben Cogger would surely have won a penalty if he had fallen when he was tripped as he sped in on goal. He somehow recovered, only to see his pass to an unmarked Simms deflect off a defender's leg.

Oxford C: Benbow, Woodhouse, Dark, Cruse, Brown, Smith, Lee, Whitehead (Mitchell 60), Charles (Cogger 76), Simms, Wimble. Subs not used: Druce.

Referee: B Chapman.