JEFFERSON Louis scored twice as Oxford City secured a superb 4-2 victory away to second-placed St Albans City yesterday.

Louis helped City race into an early 3-0 lead, and after veteran striker Jamie Cureton netted twice for the hosts, he added another to give new boss Mark Jones his second victory in two Vanarama National League South games.

The visitors were given a cracking start when Jamie Roberts scored after seven minutes, firing home following a weak clearance to silence the large home crowd.

City went close through Louis and Lee Henderson before Louis doubled their lead after 15 minutes.

Great pressure from Freddie Grant forced another mistake from the Saints’ defence and the unmarked Louis slotted home.

The visitors could scarcely believe it when they made it 3-0 in the 25th minute.

Scott Davies’s free-kick was only headed out to the edge of the penalty area, from where Reece Fleet crashed the ball home.

Two minutes later, the hosts pulled one back, when 41-year-old Cureton – scorer of more than 250 Football League goals – took advantage of a spill by City keeper Tyrell Belford to tap the ball in.

Cureton struck again in the 34th minute, when firing under Belford to make it 3-2 and putting St Albans right back in the game.

That’s the way it stayed for the rest of the first half and the early part of the second.

Shortly after the double substitution of Tom Winters and Godfrey Poku for Stephane Ngamvoulou and Roberts, the visitors went two goals clear.

In the 68th minute, Louis beat the offside trap and deceived keeper James Russell to score at the near post.

Only a brilliant tackle from Robbie Cundy prevented Cureton completing his hat-trick, while Mike Fondop, who had come on as a substitute, went close at the other end

Despite, the addition of five minutes of injury time, City held on for an excellent victory that could turn their season around.

Oxford City: Belford, Ngathe, Grant, Ashby, Henderson, Cundy, Roberts (Poku 65), Fleet, Louis (Fondop 80), Davies, Ngamvoulou (Winters 65). Subs not used: Peake-Pijnen, MacAuley.

Attendance: 1,100.