After last week’s disappointing performance in the FA Cup, Banbury were determined to make amends at Farsley, and they set off like an express train, and quickly found their rhythm from the opening whistle. The home ‘keeper Zan-Luc Leban had his fingers stung in the first minute when he was almost caught out by an accurate 20-yard effort from Louis Hall, which he managed to palm away to safety. This near miss served as no warning whatsoever when United took the lead in the 10th minute. Adi Yussuf beat off two defenders as he sprinted forward with the ball, and his strength enabled him to fire powerfully home from 15 yards, for his first goal in a Puritan’s shirt, giving Leban no chance at all with Banbury well on top.

Banbury were looking as good as they have all season, as they attacked up both wings with some crisp inter-changing of positional play. Aidan Elliott-Wheeler and Jack Tompkins were posing big problems for the Farsley back line to deal with, but suddenly, Elliott-Wheeler had to be replaced through illness in the 37th minute. This affected the Banbury set-up for the rest of an otherwise dominated first-half. Just a minute after the substitution, the Celts went close when George Smith sent in a glorious cross from the left, which thankfully evaded everyone in a hooped shirt. Then, in the 43rd minute, United had Tai Fleming to thank when he cleared a goal-bound shot from Darren Stephenson, to keep Banbury in front at the break.

The second half saw no quarter given by either team as chances came and went for both sides. For United, in the 61st minute they went close when Ken Charles forced Leban into a goal-line save and five minutes later, Lawson D’Ath took advantage of some lack of challenges from the home side, and charged through the middle, but when he laid off the ball to Tope Obadeyi, he miss-hit a good chance from 12 yards when he tried to keep his shot low, only for the ball to crash into the ground and bounce over the crossbar.

Farsley used their substitutes in the next few minutes to try to change their luck, but hard work and good defending by the Puritans kept United safe as the game neared its conclusion. The home side went close in the 83rd minute when Tom Allan saw his header come back off the top of the crossbar, but one minute later they were reduced to ten men when Stephenson was sent off for violent conduct.

Banbury’s win should have been more emphatic when, in the first minute of time-added-on, Simeon Maye managed to blast the ball over the crossbar, inside the six-yard box in front of a completely open goal, a feat that had seen Charles do the same in the first half.

Farsley Celtic :- Zan-Luc Leban, Harry Sheridan, George Smith, Connor Branson (77 mins. Ryan Watson), Rudy Misambo, Tom Allan, Jordan Carroll (60 mins. Isaac Robinson), Chris Atkinson (captain), Darren Stephenson, Ben Atkinson, Jake Forshaw (67 mins. Clayton Donaldson). Subs (not used) Sam Leverett, Joao Silva.

Banbury United :- Jack Harding, Jack Tompkins, Simeon Maye, Tai Fleming, Lawson D’Ath (captain), Ken Charles (80 mins. Craig Hewitt), Adi Yussuf, Dominic Revan, Emmanuel Maja-Awesu, Aidan Elliott-Wheeler (37 mins. Tope Obadeyi), Louis Hall. Sub (not used) Tyrell Hamilton.

Attendance - 506

Thank you to Barry Worsley for this review.