OXFORD City earned their first point of the season in Vanarama National League, with a 1-1 draw at FC Halifax Town.

Pierre Fonkeu grabbed his first Hoops goal to cancel out Rob Harker’s opener before the interval.

The home side hit the post with 25 minutes on the clock when Jamie Cooke’s left-footed effort bounced back off the woodwork.

However, the hosts did get the opener just after the half hour mark when Harker capitalised on an error in the City backline, ran through on goal and slotted past Chris Haigh.

READ ALSO: Oxford United boss admits Marcus Browne injury ‘isn’t looking great’

Harker had a chance to add his second of the game but he couldn’t nod home Ryan Galvin’s cross from inside the six-yard box.

The Hoops hit back when Josh Parker beat his marker on the right wing and unselfishly squared the ball to Fonkeu, who fired in.

There was controversy late on when Canice Carroll saw a headed effort not awarded a goal as the officials deemed it not to have crossed the line.

City head coach Ross Jenkins told the club website: “It’s good to get a point on the road. I think in the second half, we did enough to win the game.

“I don’t think we were good enough in the first half. We were looking sluggish, heavy and slow.

“I think after the first half we needed a wake-up call and we told the boys that. In the second half, it was a different team that came out.”

Help support trusted local news 

Sign up for a digital subscription now: oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe

As a digital subscriber you will get: 

  • Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website 
  • Advert-light access 
  • Reader rewards 
  • Full access to our app