City ended the year at Milton Road with a performance that brought festive cheer to the Lilywhites’ faithful as they notched five goals against a Brackley team who prior to this game had lost just one game on their travels, scoring an impressive 28 goals in the process.

Manager Gary Roberts handed debuts to new signings John Kennedy at right back and Jamie Barker, who partnered Steve Gentle in attack. The former was pressed into action after just 15 seconds, closing down Tom Winters, who shot wide when he should have tested Zac Barrett.

Joe Magunda was lucky to stay on the field just six minutes into the match when a late challenge might have deserved a red card. Referee Paul Martin extended some Christmas largesse by producing a yellow, much to the surprise of the Shed. On 22 the same player committed a similar foul and a second yellow looked a certainty – but this time a stern talking to was the outcome. Manager John Brady had certainly had enough of his errant midfielder and substituted him before further harm could occur.

Meanwhile, City were playing all the football. Barker showed his commitment to the cause when he made a brave and rampaging run down the right before crossing to the far post and seeing the ball cleared to safety. Lee Chaffey’s header from Adrian Cambridge’s corner was punched out before being returned to the same man whose header went just over.

On 23 minutes, Gentle was through on goal before slicing his shot off at a right angle – but better was soon to come. On 25, Robbie Nightingale’s neat ball very nearly put in Barker who couldn’t quite connect. Sixty seconds later, Barker’s header was cleared off the line by Simon Travis. Plenty of chances but nothing to show – but this was soon to change.

On the half hour, Gentle timed his leap to perfection in order to flick on to Barker who managed to control the ball and lay it on for Adrian Cambridge, steaming in from midfield. The City captain gave Richard Morris no chance in the Brackley goal as his thumped his drive into the back of the net to give his side a well deserved lead.

Barrett had little to do at his end of the pitch but was instrumental in setting up the second goal. His long clearance baffled skipper Chris Willmot who dithered over a routine clearance. Tony Burke seized the opportunity, pinched the ball and made off into the penalty area. He appeared to have half-rounded the keeper when a slight hesitation made it look as if the chance would go begging. However, a slick drag back and he was back in enough space to finish the move and find the net. Two-nil and City were cruising.

As the half drew to a close, City continued to create decent chances. Burke burrowed his way around the back four and won a corner; Steve Gentle’s header was plucked out by Morris and on the stroke of half time, Cambridge’s free-kick skimmed the bar.

If the visitors looked bereft of ideas in the first half, by the second they were out for the count. The game was sealed on fifty when another dazzling run from Burke enabled him to make inroads before releasing Ashley Fuller. The wide man’s shot seemed to have quite a bit to do before it took a helpful and devastating deflection off Travis and into the net. Three-nil and definitely game over.

Skipper Cambridge was subbed off for Neil Midgley on 58, Gentle following him to the bench on 73 for John Frendo. Brackley made the odd foray into the City half but other than when Winters’ shot crashed against the post, they had little on offer. This was mainly due to an exemplary midfield performance from Nightingale who scarcely put in a poor pass all afternoon and thanks to tight defending, none better than by Lee Chaffey who snuffed out most of what Brackley could throw at him.

Following Fuller’s thrash at goal on 77 which Morris did well to parry, the game seemed to be petering out to a satisfying win when City caught their second wind. Quite bizarrely, Midgley could have scored four in the last six minutes. First, a heavy first touch meant that Burke’s pass went begging when a goal was a strong option then seconds later, Frendo managed to extricate the ball from under his feet to put in the same player with the same result. On 90 minutes his shot-cum-cross went across the face of the goal and to safety to complete a hat trick of chances. Just as it seemed that he would never get on the score sheet, a diagonal ball found him free on the left. With little angle to play with, he managed to put the ball across Morris for goal number four and to convert possibly the most difficult of his chances.

Things got even better when in the final seconds of the game, Midgley was hacked down in the box. He dusted himself down, sent Morris the wrong way and converted with ease. Five-nil and an excellent Christmas gift for the Lilywhites’ fans.

This was a fine all-round performance in which any of half a dozen City players could have been awarded Man of the Match. The sponsor’s laurels went to Tony Burke but the resolute defending of Chaffey, the energy and control of Nightingale and Cambridge in midfield, the hard work of Gentle and Barker in attack and contributions from Krause and Kennedy are all worthy of being mentioned in dispatches.

Second place, the best home record in the league and a proven match for the best teams in the league – and with arguably a stronger squad now than in August.