With three league games without a victory and the playoff picture beginning to take shape, Banbury United made the trip to Kettering Town knowing the significance of the occasion. Currently sitting eleventh with two games in hand of Quorn and Halesowen, who occupy the last two playoff spots, a win would take the Puritans to within five points of fifth place. With the reverse fixture a 2-0 loss for Banbury at the Spencer Stadium, the hosts would go into the game encouraged and chasing the same playoff high, with a repeat victory tonight lifting Kettering as high as fourth. With one point out of the last three away games, the Puritans would be looking to rediscover their form on the road at a defining moment of the season. Banbury made two changes for the game, with Luke Stokoe and Joel Anker replaced by Chris Wreh and Nico Jones.

It was a quiet and scrappy opening at Latimer Park, with both sides struggling to keep possession and thus failing to create any fluency in the early stages. The first sight of goal fell to Wreh, who produced a speculative effort which failed to trouble Kettering’s Paul White. From that point, the first half developed into an end-to-end affair without truly opening up, each team mainly looking to long balls over the top as an outlet that proved only productive in stretching the game rather than creating clear-cut chances.

The Poppies showed glimpses of attacking intent through Ismael Fatadjo’s quick and composed dribbling, but Banbury’s defensive unit, particularly Ofosu and Flanagan, remained composed and consistently hoisted the ball out of danger.

As the half wore on, the game became increasingly congested, with both sides forced into narrow areas and denied time on the ball. Where Wreh or Alabi brought down long balls and looked to hold up play, Kettering pressed sharply to limit the space that the front men were able to work with. As a result, both forwards were forced to play in narrow areas and denied time on the ball, leading to a very repetitive half of lost possession.

After the first half an hour, the Poppies earned a free kick in a dangerous position, struck well by Lewis Coyle and deflected towards goal, but Harding reacted superbly to make a sharp save and keep the game goalless. Just as the half appeared to be drifting towards a goalless conclusion, the game sparked into life. Following a chaotic sequence generated by a long ball into the Banbury box, Kettering recovered as the ball was played wide and then fizzed across by Blaine Rowe. The following strike from Fatadjo was blocked initially, and the follow-up strike saw a penalty given to Kettering for a handball by Nico Jones.

However, Banbury were handed a lifeline. The resulting penalty was driven low to Harding’s right and saved cleanly before Flanagan cleared the danger. That sent both sides into the break level at 0-0.

If the first half lacked fluidity, the second half did little to improve matters, with the scrappy nature of the contest continuing after the restart. Kettering produced the brightest moment of the opening fifteen, working the ball well down the left flank before thrusting a dangerous ball into the box only to be met well by Jones, who cleared the danger. The game soon grew increasingly physical, with a number of late challenges and downed men disrupting any rhythm and Jones himself perhaps fortunate to avoid a booking after cutting across his man.

By the seventieth minute, much of the football was being played in the Banbury half. As Kettering applied sustained pressure, a long ball into the box caused problems and an appeal for a shove in the box, before Kettering’s George Forsyth picked up the ball on the edge of the area and placed a good ball which met the head of Carl Mensah. His header was well saved by Harding, the defining man on the day. The half was largely defined by resolute defending across the Banbury back line, but most noticeably Alex Worley who consistently outworked and physically dominated his designated winger.

Though absent in attack through much of the half, the Puritans found themselves in the opposition half for the majority of the final five minutes. A promising ball from the right flank into the box evaded both Ball and Alabi before a Ball won a free kick in a promising area: both chances amounted to nothing. A late Worley corner which could have held the potential to grab Banbury the winner drifted harmlessly beyond everyone in the box, perhaps, fittingly, carried away by the wind.

In the end, Banbury walk away, soaked and ruffled, with a point gained at Latimer Park, a physically dominant defensive performance to admire, but an inability to create chances that they will look to address in another away game on Saturday against Leiston.

Match report written by Adam Coward.