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Cambridge City 3 Banbury United 1 - Report

Cambridge City 3 Banbury United 1 - Report

David Shadbolt20 Feb 2014 - 01:11
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https://www.banburyunitedfc.co

An improved showing from United but play-off chasers City win 3-1

Cambridge City made a lively opening to the game but Banbury soon worked their way into the proceedings. In the 12th minute Adeyinka Talabi had United’s first shot on target but his effort from the edge of the City penalty area was comfortably saved.

Though Banbury were having the equal of the game it would be the home side who would go in front on 20 minutes when a free kick from wide on the left was pumped into the Banbury penalty area where Banbury’s Tom Ryan headed the ball past his own goalkeeper Kwame Fordah from the edge of the six yard box.

Banbury though responded well and equalised ten minutes later. A free kick from just outside the penalty area on the left was put into the danger area where City goalkeeper James Wren was only able to weakly punch the ball out as far as Anderson Pinto who headed the ball home from eight yards.

It was a deserved equaliser for Banbury which is how the score remained at the interval though United were indebted to Fordah a minute before the break for keeping them level as from a corner he superbly tipped a goalbound header from Lee Chaffey over the bar.

The second half began very open with both sides playing positively. On 49 minutes an Adeyinka Talabi shot was saved by the goalkeeper and though the custodian was unable to hold on to the ball and it rolled along the goal line he managed to scramble across and grab the ball at the second attempt.

However with the game in the balance it would be Cambridge City who would regain the lead on 57 minutes when Josh Beech was put in on goal by Kelvin Bossman and he fired the ball home powerfully through Fordah from a narrow angle inside the penalty area on the right.

Banbury responded well for a second time after going behind but unable to find a way through Cambridge City extended their lead on 68 minutes when a fierce low cross from the right from Adam Marriott was knocked in at the far post by Josh Dawkins.

There was a glimmer of hope for Banbury on 75 minutes when Bossman was sent off for hitting out at Wayne Blossom. Banbury did push forward in the last quarter of an hour looking for a way back into the game. In the 79th minute a cross from Tanasheh Abrahams from the left saw Marcus Green’s neat near post flick deflected up off a defender on to the top of the net and then in the 84th minute a shot from Aaron Morgan from just outside the penalty area was well saved by Wren.

Albeit there was nothing to show for it at the end of the game, this was a much improved performance from United, especially after the debacle of their previous game at Chesham, against a side looking certainties for a play-off place and though City were deserved winners one could not on this occasion fault the effort.

Cambridge |City: James Wren, Jackson Ramm, Tom Pepper, Nick Beasant, Lee |Chaffey, Josh Beech (Louis Lee 88), Sam Kelly (David Prada 88), Adam Martin, Kelvin Bossman, Adam Marriott, Josh Dawkin. Subs (not used): Will Lawton, Steven Bundschuh, Neil Midgley.

Banbury United: Kwame Fordah, Luke Cray, Tanasheh Abrahams, Scott Bridges, Wayne Blossom, Tom Ryan, Kyal McNulty, Anderson Pinto, Dominic Lawless (Conor Collins 62), Aaron Morgan, Adeyinka Talabi (Marcus Green 55). Subs (not used): John Mbamarah, Sean Barker.

Attendance: 205

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