Banbury didn’t deserve to lose this game with a goal in the 92nd minute. But lose they did, in a game that was dominated by some fairly tough refereeing decisions. A total of six yellow cards and a red card were issued despite fair and disciplined play throughout.

Goalmouth action was at a premium with the first dangerous shot arriving in the 56th minute when Jack Harding made a good save from an Adam Barton effort on the edge of the penalty area, which he managed to tip over the crossbar for a corner. Banbury’s best chance didn’t arrive until the 69th minute when substitute Tope Obadeyi was foiled by ‘keeper Cameron Mason after being put clear, with a ball over the top from Aidan Elliott-Wheeler. The latter had to leave the field in the 81st minute after receiving a second yellow card for a tackle from behind to foil a Curzon attack, and this curtailed Banbury’s attacking ambitions after seeing the team definitively improve from a neutral opening hour.

Suddenly United had to defend deeply for the last ten minutes and Haydn Campbell made them pay when he netted with a speculative shot which went in at the far corner to take all three points back to Manchester.

Banbury United :- Jack Harding, Jack Davies, Simeon Maye, Charlie Waller, Tai Fleming, Lawson D’Ath (captain), Ken Charles, Dion Kelly-Evans, Aidan Elliott-Wheeler, Harry Parsons (61 mins. Tope Abadeyi), Emmanuel Maja (75 mins. Craig Hewitt) Subs (not used) Joshua Barlow, Zach Scott.

Curzon Ashton :- Cameron Mason, Marcus Poscha, Devon Matthews, Isaac Sinclair, James Spencer (captain), William Hayhurst, George Waring, Stefan Mols, Jordan Richards, Craig Mahon, Adam Barton. Subs Tommy McDermott, Alex Kenyon, Hayden Campbell, Jamie Allen, Rhys Hughes.

Attendance – 493

Thank you to Barry Worsley for this match report.