United got off to the best of starts when going ahead in the third minute when a cross from the left by Tom Winters was headed home in the centre from six yards by Jefferson Louis.
Just three minutes later and it was 2-0 when a cross from the left by Winters fell to Ravi Shamsi just inside the penalty area down the right who did well to make room for a shot, firing the ball home from 10 yards.

In the 11th minute Banbury went close to a third when a Louis shot was cleared off the line by Ed Sanders. But they did not have to wait long to score the third when in the 15th minute a Winters corner from the right was only cleared out as far as Charlie Hawtin who put the ball back to Winters whose cross was knocked into the net from under the crossbar by Tom Bradbury.

Gosport responded to going 3-0 down though and in the 19th minute Jack Harding made an excellent save from a shot by Matt Buse from the edge of the Banbury penalty area.

Gosport would make the Banbury defence work hard in the rest of the half but Banbury defended well and always looked dangerous going forward and in the 42nd minute went very close to making it 4-0. A Winters cross from the left saw Luke Carnell’s header at the far post smash against the bar with Jefferson Louis getting up well at the six-yard box, only to see his header of the rebound also hit the bar.

Though Banbury went close in the 58th minute when a corner from the left by Winters fell to Darren Pond 12 yards out, his shot smashing against the crossbar, Gosport would have the better of the first 30 minutes of the half and Banbury again had to work very hard to keep the home side out.

Banbury would though get to grip with the game once more in the last fifteen minutes of the game.

In the 76th minute a surging run from Winters from the half way line saw him then pass the ball up to Conor McDonagh on the edge of the Gosport penalty area but the United striker’s shot was well saved by Lewis Watch in the home goal. A minute later and Shamsi fired just wide from 18 yards. Two minutes later and a Tom Winters free-kick from the left was whipped into the centre with Tom Bradbury doing well to get his foot to the ball on the edge of the six yard box but he was unable to keep it down and it went over the bar.

But the fourth goal that Banbury had been threatening would arrive in the 81st minute when a high cross in from the right down by the corner flag from Jack Self was headed home in the centre by McDonagh from eight yards.

In the 84th minute the home custodian did exceptionally well to tip a Shamsi shot from 15 yards round the post for a corner. A minute later a Shamsi corner from the right saw Charlie Wise, his first touch of the ball, head the ball goalwards from 12 yards, only to be denied a goal by a defender heading the ball away off the line. Banbury went close once more just a minute later when Watch pulled off another fine save, pushing a Shamsi shot onto the bar.

Overall it was an odd game with Banbury having spells at the start of the first half and end of the second when they ran riot but for the rest of the game it was the home side who certainly had more possession, looking dangerous going forward and forcing the Banbury defence to work hard to keep a clean sheet.

Gosport Borough: Lewis Watch, Frankie Paige, Harry Medway, Liam Kimber (Ethan Miller 71), Luke King, Ed Saunders, Jack Breen, Matt Buse, Iffy Onwuachu, Billy Connor (Kurt Watts 63), Dale Mason (Max Smith 78). Subs (not used): Connor May, Alfie Lis.

Banbury United: Jack Harding, Charlie Hawtin, Matt Peake-Pijnen, Jack Westbrook, Tom Bradbury (Charlie Wise 84), Luke Carnell, Ravi Shamsi, Darren Pond, Jefferson Louis (Jack Self 78), Conor McDonagh, Tom Winters. Subs: Jack Self, Ricky Johnson, George Nash, Charlie Wise, Anton Sambrook.

Attendance: 230