OXFORD City finished their home campaign on a high when grinding out a 1-0 win against ten-man Margate at Marsh Lane, writes RYAN BRATLEY.

Jefferson Louis’s unorthodox first-half strike sealed the three points as Mark Jones’s side recorded a third-straight victory and clean sheet in Vanarama National League South.

The City boss was forced to make one change to the side which beat Gosport Borough on Easter Monday, with George Essuman replacing the injured Lee Henderson.

A string of early corners saw Essuman head narrowly over, before Godfrey Poku’s half-volley from the edge of the area was well blocked.

Poku was just as involved at the other end, heading off of the line as the hosts failed to clear a Margate corner.

A good move could have seen Louis open the scoring when he received the ball on the edge of the six-yard box, but the veteran striker was denied by Tarik Moore-Azille’s brave challenge.

Kaiman Anderson was the next to test Valery Pajetat as his near post header from a Scott Davies free-kick forced the Margate stopper into a good save low to his left.

City finally broke the deadlock on 43 minutes when Pajetat failed to claim a corner and, with the keeper out of position, Louis hooked the ball back over his shoulder and into the bottom corner.

Margate’s Michael Thalassitis looked set to equalise in first-half stoppage time, bursting clear of the defence before being denied by the backtracking Essuman.

After an action-packed first half, the clash failed to deliver after the break.

Thalassitis saw red in the 50th minute, picking up two bookings for dissent in the space of 30 seconds.

While the introduction of loanee Connor Furlong brought a new dimension to City’s attacking play, the second half saw few clear chances for either side.

Oxford City: Hill, Poku, Grant (Peake-Pijnen 80), Demuria, Essuman, Niate, Fleet, Davies, Louis (Carvalho 68), Anderson, Forde (Furlong 75). Subs not used: Daramola.

Attendance: 251.