A YOUTHFUL Oxford City side fell to a heavy 5-0 defeat at the hands of a clinical Hampton & Richmond Borough, writes RYAN BRATLEY.

Brendan Kierney’s hat-trick and a brace from Duncan Culley gave the visitors an easy victory in Vanarama National League South.

Mark Jones’s side had an experimental feel to it, the manager choosing to name a number of young players.

Lee Henderson and Scott Davies were notable absentees as George Essuman and Guri Demuria partnered each other in defence for the first time and Connor Furlong made his full debut in midfield.

It did not take long for City to be breached, Culley finding the top corner with an eighth-minute free-kick.

Essuman went close for City with a far-post header from a corner.

But the visitors quickly doubled their lead as Culley beat Freddie Grant and Demuria before squaring for Kiernan to tap home.

City found themselves three goals down before the half-hour mark.

An innocuous pass over the top saw City keeper Craig Hill beaten to the ball by Culley, leaving the forward with an open goal to fire into.

The Beavers made it 4-0 before half-time as Kiernan bagged his second goalby netting past Hill.

Going into half-time, City had failed to register a single shot on target.

They looked better after the break, Jefferson Louis popping up at the near post to volley a Grant free-kick goalwards, only to be denied by the legs of Sam Howes.

It took some luck for Hampton to strike for a fifth time.

Kiernan’s powerful effort cannoned off of Essuman, wrong-footing Hill to find the back of the net.

Oxford City: Hill, Ngathe, Grant, Poku, Essuman, Demuria, Furlong, Abiola-Daramola (Tutton 62), Louis (Forde 62), Khawaja (Anderson 62), Carvalho. Subs not used: Peake-Pijnen, Niate

Attendance: 294.