Two late goals sent Oxford City crashing to a 3-1 defeat at Altrincham in Blue Square Bet North on Saturday, writes Matthew Bruce City had taken the lead through Felipe Barcelos before Altrincham levelled through Damian Reeves shortly before half-time.

And second-half goals on 80 and 81 minutes from Reeves and Duncan Watmore sent City tumbling to defeat.

City had the best of the opening exchanges when a Jamie Cook’s free-kick clipped the top of the bar.

And it was the visitors who got their noses in front midway through the half when Adam Learoyd’s cross was palmed into the path of Barcelos, whose deflected shot found the bottom corner of the net.

Altrincham pulled themselves level shortly before half-time when James Lawrie chipped the ball back from the byline onto the head of top-sco-rer Reeves, who nodded home.

In the second half, City faced an Altrincham onslaught.

Watmore got the wrong side of the City defence and rounded goalkeeper Matt Ingram, but was foiled by a timely challenge just as he was about to pull the trigger.

And Watmore was again denied minutes later after beating the offside trap and firing in a shot which cannoned off a post.

City were again saved by the woodwork when Lawrie’s shot, which looked destined for the net, swerved and came back off an upright.

The visitors’ resistance was finally broken when another shot from Lawrie came back off a post and into the path of Reeves, who tapped in.

And City then found themselves 3-1 down less than a minute later when Watmore burst through the defence and unleashed an unstoppable right-footed shot which left Ingram with no chance.

City rallied in the final ten minutes, but were unable to find a reply and slipped to 12th in the table after a disappointing second-half performance.

Oxford City: Ingram, Stanley, Stonehouse, McNish (Malone 64), Learoyd, Willmott, Benjamin, Pond, Holgate (Bell 38), Cook, Barcelos. Subs not used: Gunn, Mulvany.

Attendance: 741.