Punch drunk St Albans City suffered a blow to their Vanarama National League South promotion hopes with a 4-2 Boxing Day defeat at home to Oxford City.

Jamie Cureton’s first goals in City colours were not enough as Jefferson Louis scored twice and James Roberts and Reece Fleet once to inflict the Clarence Park side’s second defeat in a row.

Saints looked sluggish early on and were 3-0 down in 25 minutes.

Cureton though brought City back to within a goal at half-time, pouncing after a mistake from the visiting keeper for his first and shooting low underneath Tyrell Belford for number two.

And despite the introduction of Louie Theophanous and Sam Merson form the bench, Oxford grabbed the clinching goal through Louis.

It wasn’t the send off Junior Morias wanted, the St Albans striker playing in his last game before a move to Sky Bet League One Peterborough United.

The summer signing from Boreham Wood did receive a thunderous ovation when he was substituted with just under 20 minutes to go.

City will hope for a much better performance in his absence on New Year’s Day when the teams meet again in Oxfordshire.