In front of the TV cameras, Altrincham moved up to sixth place with their third win in a row, though Oxford had the upper hand for the earlier part of the second half.

The game started well for Alty as they took an eighth-minute lead when a Conn-Clarke cross-shot was followed up at the far post by centre-back Jake Cooper, who netted his first goal of the season.

However, it then took two fine blocks by Baines to prevent the hosts for levelling the score in a first half in which the hosts created four presentable chances.

Apart from the goal, Altrincham's only real opportunity to double their score in the first half came when Newby squandered a chance.

Within two minutes of the restart, Kirby equalised for City.

However, with ten minutes remaining, an Amaluzor and Conn-Clarke one-two led to the latter squaring the ball for Eddy Jones to net from close range. And that proved to be the winning goal, though Altrincham forced two or three decent saves by Haigh in the closing stages.

SCORERS:

• 8 mins: Jake COOPER (Oxford City 0 ALTRINCHAM 1)
• 47 mins: Nya KIRBY (Oxford City 1 ALTRINCHAM 1)
• 80 mins: Eddy JONES (Oxford City 1 ALTRINCHAM 2)

Angus, Donawa and Osborne came into the starting eleven as Banks and the injured Sithole and Joey Jones dropped out. Two academy graduates came in to join the bench, namely German and Tom Jones.

LINE-UPS:

OXFORD CITY (Blue and white): 1. Chris Haigh, 2. Andre Burley, 6. Tom Harrison, 14. Josh Parker, 7. Lewis Coyle, 5. Nya Kirby, 8. Reece Fleet (c), 10. Zac McEachran, 15. Renny Smith, 19. Canice Carroll, 22. Tafari Moore. Subs: 9. Oliver Sanderson, 18. Aaron Williams-Bushell, 17. Pierre Fonkeu, 21. Joe Wilson, 20. Latrell Humphrey-Ewers

, ALTRINCHAM (red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 29. Ethan Ross, 17. Justin Donawa, 15. Jake Cooper, 4. Lewis Baines, 3. Eddy Jones, 6. Elliot Osborne, 8. Isaac Marriott (c), 11. Justin Amaluzor, 30. Alex Newby, 10. Chris Conn-Clarke, 14. Dior Angus. Subs: 5. James Jones, Sam Roscoe, 2. Lewis Banks, 16. Sam Roscoe, Owen German, Tom Jones.

This was Altrincham's first visit to Oxford City's Court Place Farm ground since 2014 when the sides met improbably in National League North. At the end of that season Altrincham were promoted and, by the time Alty returned to the North level, Oxford City had been transferred to National South so the clubs had not met again since, until today. Since that visit an artificial pitch had been laid at the stadium

Oxford had lost heavily at home in midweek, 0-4 against Gateshead, their second successive four-goal reverse, whereas Alty had beaten Maidenhead United on Tuesday, their second successive win.

REPORT:

The first action, after the hosts had kicked off, was a McEachran shot which comfortably cleared the bar (2 mins)

However, Altrincham soon settled into a decent spell of possession without causing much danger until Conn-Clarke sent in a rasping low cross-cum-shot from the right which the alert Cooper turned in smartly at the back post to give Alty an early lead (8 mins).

Four minutes later Conn-Clarke's chip forward saw Amaluzor do his best to twist and direct a header at goal but his effort drifted wide (12 mins).

However, Oxford now began to grow into the game, with the experienced Parker having a shot blocked before he headed the rebound goalwards where Ross did well to tip the ball over the bar for a home corner.

When Marriott lost possession, McEachran had a shot blocked smartly by Baines (19 mins), albeit at the cost of another corner.

After Conn-Clarke, Amaluzor and Angus had combined to earn an Altrincham corner (24 mins), City earned a further corner of their own off the reliable Baines (26 mins).

Next a Fleet shot went wide (29 mins) as Oxford continued with the upper hand, albeit without troubling Ross any further. In a counter-attack Alty created an opening for Alex Newby but he miscontrolled the ball (43 mins).

Following a fruitless appeal for hands against Baines, a deflection off the Alty defender earned City another corner (44 mins).

It took Oxford just eighty seconds to equalise. The goal came when Donawa's attempt to head clear resulted in the ball looping to an opponent, which allowed Kirby to net (47 mins).

The goal lifted Oxford and they continued to have the upper hand. Alty were pleased to see Smith miskick within the box (52 mins) before Coyle got in on goal from left of centre. His goalbound shot hit the advancing Ross in the face and the Alty keeper need treatment before he could continue (53 mins).

When referee Russell failed to give Amlauzor a freekick after he had clearly been fouled, Alty nevertheless soon got forward again and, from a Conn-Clarke feed, Amaluzor shot disappointingly weakly and wide from 20 yards.

Now Banks came on for Angus (58 mins) as Alty changed shape from a 4-3-2-1 to a 3-5-2 formation to try and stifle the danger from the Oxford wing-backs. The change of tactic worked though it immediately needed Ross to run smartly out of his box to head clear the next Oxford attack (59 mins).

On the hour, Alty had a decent chance but, from a Donawa feed, Marriott skied his effort from 20 yards. Newby did better soon aftrwards but his shot was beaten out by the keeper (61 mins).

Smith was now booked for a foul on Conn-Clarke (63 mins) as it was the outnumbered 88 Altrincham fans who were the more vocal set of supporters.

The home side next made a change with Sanderson replacing McEachran (66 mins).

As Alty prepared to take a corner, Oxford brought on Williams-Bushell for Coyle (67 mins). Jones's corner was overhit before Oxford themselves won a corner, through Moore, off Banks (75 mins). For Alty Conn-Clarke was much in evidence though he now struck a 25 yard freekick very wide (79 mins).

Soon afterwards, however, he did much better. Fed by Amaluzor, from the right corner of the six-yard box, he fed the ball across goal where a well-timed run by Eddy Jones saw the left back poke the ball home just ahead of a defender's challenge. So Alty now led 2-1 (80 mins).

Altrincham almost added a third goal in the 84th minute when a deflected Newby shot had to be pushed onto the bar for a corner. And the same player won an even later corner when, fed by Amaluzor, his shot was saved by Haigh (90+1 mins).

Amaluzor was a constant thorn in the Oxford side and, deep intio the six added minutes, he lashed a shot at goal which the busy Haigh again saved well (90+4 mins). Oxford did not reallyt look like scoring an equaliser as the game ended shortly after man of the match Conn-Clarke had hit a wild shot off-target.

So, Altrincham had won a third-game on the trot to move up to sixth in the National League, a treble that they have now achieved at least once in each of the last seven seasons under Phil Parkinson.