Redditch United 2 Banbury United 2 - Match Report

Banbury would go behind early in the ninth minute when a quick break from a Banbury attack ended with Adam Page shooting from the edge of the penalty area down the left across Jack Harding into the far bottom corner of the net.

Redditch would have much the better of the next twenty minutes without overly troubling Harding.

Banbury’s first decent effort on goal would come in the 29th minute when Conor McDonagh passed the ball through to Ricky Johnson a few yards outside the Redditch penalty area in a central position, the United striker turning sharply and shooting just a couple of feet over the bar.

Banbury were much improved in the last quarter of an hour of the half. McDonagh’s shot from a narrow angle down the left eight yards out was saved by Ethan Ross in the Redditch goal and a Luke Carnell header from a corner was hacked away by a defender.

The first minute of the second half saw Redditch go very close to doubling their lead when Ashley Sammons shot just wide from twenty yards.

In the 49th minute Lewis Wright attempted to lob an exposed Jack Harding frim the edge of the Banbury penalty area but failed to get enough height to trouble the Banbury goalkeeper. But just 60 seconds later and Banbury were level when Elliot Sandy laid the ball out to Charlie Hawtin down the left whose cross was headed home by Johnson on the edge of the six yard box at the far post.

Banbury would now proceed to have much the better of the game and it was no surprise when they took the lead in the 72nd minute when a Sandy free-kick from wide on the right just inside the touch line ten yards from the corner flag was headed home at the far post by Tom Bradbury from close range.

Redditch pushed forward in search of an equaliser in the last ten minutes. Stuart Fleetwood had an opportunity in the 81st minute when he shot across the goalmouth from the edge of the six yard box down the right when he probably should have done better.

It looked like Banbury had done enough to earn the three points that their second half performance deserved but in the second minute of stoppage time a cross in from the right by Page was met by the diving head of Fleetwood in the centre a few yards out with the ball hitting the back of the net to earn Redditch a share of the spoils.

Redditch United: Ethan Ross, Lewis Wright, Nathan Fox (Gowan Stores 53), Louis Ezewele, Marcel Simpson, Danny Jackman, Tristian Dunkley (Keenah Rosser 46), Ashley Sammoms, Stuart Fleetwood, Edji Mbunga (Kyle Belmonte 69), Adam Page. Sub (not used): Zaqib Hussain.

Banbury United: Jack Harding, Jordy Ngathe, Charlie Hawtin, George Nash, Luke Carnell, Charlie Wise, Tom Bradbury, Elliot Sandy (Jack Finch 77), Ricky Johnson, Conor McDonagh (Tom Winters 82), Jack Self. Subs (not used): Graham Bryan, Ryan Macdonald, Jamie Heapy.

Attendance: 270