DREAM DAY FOR RECORD CROWD

OXFORD City will play in Non-League’s top flight for the first time in their history after a 4-0 demolition of St Albans City in the National League South play-off final.

All four goals came in the first half, with Reece Fleet, Zac McEachran and Josh Ashby scoring within half an hour before Josh Parker netted in stoppage time.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better display or performance,” said manager Ross Jenkins.

“Our shape, our play, our goals

– everything was exactly what we wanted.”

The Hoops, beaten at the semi-final stage last season, finished third in the league and beat Worthing 2-0 to book a home final with St Albans.

A record crowd of 3,100 packed into

Court Place

Farm and very nearly suffered instant deflation when Chay

Cooper went close for the

Saints inside 60 seconds. Thereafter it was one-way traffic. On three minutes, the impressive McEachran squared for skipper Fleet, who speared a low drive beyond Dylan Berry from the edge of the box. Eight minutes later it was two, McEachran capitalising on a Berry error to stab home before turning provider to tee up Ashby on the half hour. Saints boss David Noble made an instant change, throwing on 28-goal top scorer Shaun Jeffers – the division’s second-highest marksman – in place of centre-back Callum Adebiyi.

But it made little difference as Parker bagged a superb fourth, dancing beyond Aidan Francis-Clarke before applying a calm finish.

St Albans pressed relentlessly in the second period but Oxford comfortably held out to secure a historic promotion.