There were changes from the side that had beaten league high-flyers Chippenham Town on Tuesday with Ricky Johnson being given an outing up front, partnering George Jeacock who came into the side in place of Conor McDonagh. Mark Bell also came into the starting eleven so Eddie Odhiambo, like McDonagh had to be satisfied with a place on the bench.

Frome had the better of the opening twenty minutes. In the 10th minute a 20 yard shot from Jake Jackson went narrowly wide. However, it would be Banbury who would take the lead rather against the run of play in the 21st minute when Ricky Johnson got onto the end of a long ball from Jack Westbrook down the right hand side of the Frome penalty area, got the better of Connor Roberts before hitting the ball with venom from a narrow angle six yards out high into the roof of the net.

After the goal, Banbury looked the better side for the next quarter of an hour. In the 34th minute a free-kick from down by the right hand corner flag taken by Zac McEachran saw Andy Gunn’s header at the near post go across the goalkeeper but wide of the far post. But Frome worked their way back into the game to have a good spell of pressure though there was a decent chance for United in the 39th minute when Mark Bell lifted the ball over Connor Roberts to put Johnson through but his dinked shot from eight yards went just over, landing on the roof of the net.

Though Frome finished the first half on top, Banbury were improved at the start of the second half and had much the better of the first ten minutes. In the 50th minute, Bell fed the ball through to Johnson who took the ball impressively round Roberts before unleashing a 20 yard shot from a central position but the ball went high over the bar. It would though be Frome who would get the all-important next goal when ten minutes into the second half a corner from the left taken by Jon Davies was glanced home across the goal at the near post by Dan Cleverley.

Just after the hour mark, United went close to regaining the lead when a move down the left involving McEachran, Marvin Martin, Jeacock and Bell saw the last named cross low into the centre from the edge of the six yard box but Clayton Green did enough to make things difficult for the incoming Johnson and United’s leading goalscorer’s effort from close range went over the bar.

Fifteen minutes later and Frome were in front when a cross from down by the corner flag on the right by Jon Davies was headed back across Jack Harding at the far post by Corby Moore from six yards out into the far corner of the net.

From this point on United did not look like equalising and though Frome were clearly happy to hold onto the one goal margin, United did not threaten. Only in the last few minutes were the visitors put under pressure. Banbury did have the ball in the back of the Frome net on 87 minutes when a free-kick from wide on the right by Darius Browne was headed on by Johnson to Martin at the far post whose header back across goal was headed into the net by McDonagh on the goal line but there was a clear nudge on the visiting custodian and the goal was disallowed.

The visitors were though well organised at the back, defended well as the game came to its conclusion and overall Banbury cannot have any complaints about the points returning to Somerset.

Banbury United: Jack Harding, Jack Westbrook (Callum White 56), Marvin Martin, George Nash, Luke Carnell, Andy Gunn, Jack Self, George Jeacock (Conor McDonagh 66), Ricky Johnson, Zac McEachran, Mark Bell (Darius Browne 73). Subs (not used): Eddie Odhiambo, Adam Rimmer.

Frome Town: Kyle Phillips, Krissy Miller, Clayton Green, Marcus Mapstone, Connor Roberts, Dan Cleverley, Jon Davies, George Miller, Jake Jackson (Mitchell Page 75), Corby Moore (Aidan Kirby 85), Darren Jefferies. Subs (not used): Chris Gregan, Sam Boulton, Sam Teale.

Attendance: 344