Tuesday night’s goalless draw against local rivals Stratford Town saw the Puritans move up one place to ninth in the table, sitting six points off the play-off places — with games in hand on every side above them. While the stalemate denied United maximum points, it did see a third consecutive clean sheet, underlining the defensive resilience instilled by Langmead.

The midweek result stretched Banbury’s unbeaten run to seven matches, keeping the play-off picture firmly in sight despite a stop-start fixture schedule that has disrupted momentum since late December. Now, with consistency building, United will look to turn strong defensive foundations into another positive result on the road.

The Daniels

After finishing sixth last season and narrowly missing out on a play-off place, Stamford would have hoped to build on that momentum. However, this campaign has proved more challenging.

Graham Drury’s side had to wait until November for their first league win and currently sit in the relegation zone. That said, recent form has shown they’ll continue to fight their way to safety. The Daniels have lost just two of their last eight matches and are unbeaten in their previous seven home games at The Zeeco Stadium.

That strong home record presents a stern test for an in-form Banbury side brimming with confidence. With a well-drilled back line protecting goalkeeper Jack Harding, the Puritans will be determined to maintain their defensive solidity. Stamford’s attacking threats — including Leon Lobjoit and leading scorer Kai Sanchez-Tonge — will need to be at their sharpest to breach the visitor’s defence.

Previous Meetings

This season’s reverse fixture came in November, where goals from Josh Flanagan and Keegan Bloom helped United to a 2-0 victory.

Last season saw the sides meet for the first time since season 2006/07, the Puritans winning 1-0 at home in September before, in April, Banbury’s first visit to the Zeeco Stadium saw United go down 2-0.

Match preview written by Will Hutchinson.