Oxford City striker aiming to inflict misery on former club Hawks again this season

The former Hawks forward and strike partner Harvey Bradbury - son of one-time Westleigh Park boss Lee - were both on the scoresheet as Oxford City claimed a 2-1 National League South triumph on the south coast back in September.

Now Paul Doswell takes his 10th-placed side to Oxford City - currently sitting in third spot - desperately looking for his troops to secure a first league win in six attempts.

Iaciofano has been in fine form since returning to the Hoops in the summer following a one-season stay with the Hawks.

The 23-year-old former Northampton Town striker has struck 10 times in 22 National League South outings to put Oxford City in promotion contention this term – with the first of his current National League South arriving in his side’s win at Westleigh Park.

And Doswell is full aware both Iaciofano and Bradbury will be trying 'desperately' to help their side complete a league double over very familiar opposition.

The Hawks boss said: ‘They’ve obviously got Joe Iaciofano and Harvey (Bradbury). Both of them will be desperate to turn us over on Saturday and we’ll have to be aware of that threat.

‘He (Joe) spent a year to 18 months in a house in a Covid lockdown so he wanted to go back closer to home, which is understandable.’

But high-flying Oxford have won just one of their past four outings and lost old boss David Oldfield to National League Weymouth earlier this month.

Doswell added: ‘I know Andy Ballard (Oxford City caretaker manager) really well, he’s been at Oxford City a long time, so that’ll be a seamless transition.

‘They seem similar to us, I think they’re better away from home than they are at home, I was up there watching them against Billericay (2-1 home defeat) a couple of weeks ago.

‘The table states at the minute that they’re on 38 points and we’re on 30, so it’s a massive game in the context - if we can get that win - it gets us closer to them.'

Doswell has central midfielder Billy Clifford back available to him after serving his recent suspension while Jake McCarthy made an unexpected return from an ankle problem to get on as a half-time substitute in last night's home draw with Tonbridge Angels.

But the news is not good on recent addition Guy Hollis. The Slough Town defender is facing up to eight weeks out after sustaining a nasty ankle injury on debut in last weekend's league draw at bottom-side Billericay.

Meanwhile, midfielder Leon Chambers-Parillon has returned to parent club Oxford United after seeing his season-long Hawks loan stay cut short.

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