United went into this game without the unavailable David Lynn and Andy Gunn and with Jack Westbrook and Zac McEachran injured there was a second full league appearance for Jacob Blackstock and a first appearance for recent signing James Fawke. Though wearing the number 9 shirt Ricky Johnson was deployed in the centre of defence alongside Fawke thus there was a first start of the season for striker Leam Howards. Coach Anton Sambrook and goalkeeper Adam Rimmer were named on the bench which consisted of just four players.

Both sides were happy to try and play their football from the back during the first half though both struggled to progress to cause too many concerns in the opposing defences.

In the 11th minute a corner from the right taken by Duran Martin was headed goalwards by James Fawke from eight yards out but Nat Kelly was on hand to hack the ball away. Then three minutes later it was a virtual repeat at the other end with a corner from the right by Reece Hales being headed goalwards by Clayton McDonald from 12 yards with Callum White heading away the big centre-half’s effort.

There was little more in the way of goalmouth action until the 30th minute when Hales put Danico Johnson away down the left who then took the ball inside before unleashing a left foot shot from a narrow angle just six yards out but Jack Harding in the Banbury goal pulled off an excellent save, deflecting the ball over the bar with his legs as he spread himself in front of the Redditch striker.

In stoppage time at the end of the first half a long free-kick from well inside his own half taken by Harding was put on to the edge of the Redditch penalty area where it fell to Leam Howards on the right hand side but the Banbury striker screwed his shot just wide of the far post.

Redditch had much the better of the early stages of the second half. In the 48th minute they went close to scoring when Reece Hewitt put Johnson away down the left who then took the ball inside before laying it off into the path of Jazz Luckie, only for his shot from just five yards out with his goal at his mercy to be deflected just wide of the post by Callum White for a corner.

Redditch would make the breakthrough in the 62nd minute when Nat Kelly pumped the ball long down the left and though Banbury defender Fawke got to the ball first he was put under pressure by Luckie and his intended back pass to Harding lacked the necessary pace with Luckie nipping in to collect the ball and take it to the edge of the six yard box before stroking it across Harding into the far corner of the net.

Banbury nearly responded positively just two minutes later when an excellent cross from the right by Jacob Blackstock saw Mark Janes do well to get in position just ten yards out but he should have done better with his header which was off target.

Banbury didn’t then though cause undue concern to the Redditch defence until the last few minutes of the game. In the 87th minute Darius Browne passed the ball long down the left in the direction of Janes who did exceptionally well to get the better of McDonald and then Duane Courtney, only for him to then blast his shot over the bar from 15 yards out.

Finally a minute from time a cross from the right by Felipe Barcelos saw Browne get his head to the ball ahead of the Redditch defence just eight yards out but he couldn’t keep the ball down and it went over the bar.

Overall a draw would probably have been a fair result as there was little between the sides but Jazz Luckie’s goal proved enough to earn Redditch the three points and condemn Banbury to a fourth consecutive league defeat.

Banbury United: Jack Harding, Callum White, Jacob Blackstock, George Nash, James Fawke, Darius Browne, Mark Janes, Jack Self (Mark Bell 66), Ricky Johnson, Leam Howards (Felipe Barcelos 55), Duran Martin. Subs (not used): Anton Sambrook, Adam Rimmer.

Redditch United: Bradley Catlow, Jordan Jones, Nathaniel Kelly, Liam Spink, Clayton McDonald, Duane Courtney, Eli Bako, Reece Hewitt, Jazz Luckie (Trovarn Thompson 74), Danico Johnson (Jordan Brown 83), Reece Hales (Michael Taylor 66). Subs (not used): David McDermott, Apostolis Apostolopoulos.

Attendance: 403