A much changed United side, with just Luke Cray starting this game that had started against Arlesey on Saturday, conceded five and exited the Southern League Cup to Division One Central side Daventry Town.

United were rather fortunate not to go behind as early as the fifth minute when a corner from the left taken by Ross Oulton was headed against the bar by Ricky Hill.

Just five minutes later though and Daventry took the lead when a ball through the middle saw United goalkeeper Josh Hill come out to the edge of his penalty area to collect which looked like being a routine header back by Callum White but Mitchell Piggon had other ideas and nipped in ahead of the Banbury defender to lift the ball over the stranded custodian.

It was 2-0 in the 19th minute when a corner from the right by Josh O’Grady came straight back out to him and he then put the ball back into the six yard box and though Kieran Fitzgerald’s header from six yards was well saved by Hill the loose ball was then struck home by Piggon for his second goal of the game.

United gave themselves the proverbial mountain to climb when they conceded a third goal just four minutes later. A long kick from visiting goalkeeper Ben Heath was headed on by Piggon and Fitzgerald took advantage of some poor defending by United to bustle his way through and put the ball past Hill from six yards.

United though pulled a goal back on 31 minutes when Darius Browne took the ball in from the left touchline before crossing low into the middle where Harry White knocked the ball home from close in.

The last quarter of an hour of the half was promising for Banbury but though having the better of this period they were unable to add to their goal and so at the interval it was 3-1 to Daventry.

Thoughts of a Banbury comeback all but vanished just three minutes into the second half when a free-kick wide on the right taken by O’Grady saw Piggon cause confusion at the near post with the ball going right through and nestling into the far corner of the net without anyone getting a touch to restore the three goal cushion for the visitors.

There didn’t appear to be any way back for United from this but two goals from Harry White, completing his hat-trick, with ten minutes still to go on the clock, looked to have got Banbury back into the game. Both goals were similar in that White was put through with just the goalkeeper to beat and then did so competently.

However, Dior Angus effectively extinguished Banbury’s hopes just two minutes later when with the goal of the game he took the ball in from the left before curling the ball from a narrow angle on the edge of the six yard box into the far top corner of the net.

First Half Highlights

Second Half Highlights

Banbury United: Josh Hill. Luke Cray, Nkosi Mzungwana, Declan Hartigan, Calllum White, Ciaran Houston (Tom Fishwick 69), Darius Browne (Shepherd Murombedzi 46), Harry Jervis, Harry White, Adeyinka Talabi, Marcus Green (Leon Simpson 55). Subs (not used): David Lynn, Carl Tappin.

Daventry Town: Ben Heath, Ashley Deeney, Josh O’Grady, Martin Hutchcox, Ricky Hill, Joe Power, Ross Oulton, Ryan Howell, Mitchell Piggon, Kieran Fitzgerald, Dior Angus. Subs: Neil Champelovier, Karl Milbourne.

Attendance: 77