OXFORD City got the perfect preparation for their televised Emirates FA Cup first round replay with a 1-0 victory at Dulwich Hamlet on Saturday.

Mark Jones’s side, who will host Tranmere Rovers in front of the cameras tomorrow night in what the manager described as one of the biggest game’s in the club’s history, will go into the match on a high.

Jack Self’s first goal for the club secured a confidence-boosting win, moving City up to 16th in the Vanarama National League South table.

Jones shuffled his pack with the Cup clash on his mind, and it took both teams a while to find their feet.

It was 22 minutes until the first real effort on goal when Craig Fasanmade, making his first start for City, saw his goalbound shot deflected.

However, three minutes later the hosts were reduced to ten men when Quade Taylor lunged in with a horrible two-footed challenge on Fasanmade and was promptly dismissed.

Zac McEachran and Udoka Godwin-Malife both had efforts before half-time, but could not make the breakthrough.

Dulwich’s best chance of the match came within seconds of the restart, but they could not test Craig King.

Five minutes later, the deadlock was broken.

Self timed a run forward to perfection, beating the offside trap to meet McEachran’s ball and slot home.

City should have doubled their lead soon after, but McEachran failed to convert when through one-on-one.

They were almost made to pay with eight minutes remaining.

A Dulwich shot from the edge of the box was saved by King, but the ball squirmed from his grasp and the City keeper had to react quickly to block the follow-up effort which looked destined for the net.

But the hosts managed to see out the remaining time without further alarms, meaning they go into tomorrow’s huge game on the back of a fine result.

Oxford City: King, Jones, Wiltshire, Ashby, Godwin-Malife, Musonda, Bawling (Nombe 73), Self, Fasanmade (Tshimanga 73), McEachran, Otudeko (Fleet 83). Subs not used: Caro, Carter.