United got off to the worse of starts going behind in just the third minute. A Tom Winters cross from the left saw Ander Del Alamo’s header from six yards pushed around the post by Leigh Bedwell but the resultant right wing corner taken by Winters saw Thomas Amegnaglo’s attempted headed clearance go up into the air at the six yard line where the ball fell to the quick reacting Paulo Mendes who poked the loose ball home from five yards.

In the sixth minute a Winters free-kick from 30 yards went just wide of the post as City dominated the early stages and looked likely to increase their lead.

However, as the half developed Banbury gradually got more into the game and though they had not looked particularly like threatening to score, they would conjure up an equaliser in the 31st minute. Good inter-play down the right between Carl Tappin and Jordan Green saw the latter take the ball inside the penalty area from wide on the right and though his shot was seemingly off target, it hit Declan Benjamin with the ball ballooning up into the air nicely for Nathaniel Lewars to head the ball home past Mark Scott from six yards.

The goal seemed to increase United’s confidence and the game became more equal from this point on.

Five minutes into the second half City’s Helge Orome headed a Winters cross from the left just wide. Three minutes later Darius Browne forced the visiting custodian to tip his shot over the bar for a corner from which Jack Westbrook got his foot to the ball ten yards out forcing Scott to make a good save by tipping the ball around the post for another corner.

Save of the game would though come in the 68th minute when City’s Lewis Wilson let fly from the edge of the Banbury penalty area. The shot looked destined for the top corner of the net but Bedwell was on hand to spectacularly tip the ball away around the post for a corner. Moments later Banbury went close when Carl Tappin’s header from an Amegnaglo cross went just wide.

Chances began to dry up for both sides towards the end of the half and the game looked destined for extra time but in the 89th minute Banbury would get what would prove to be the winner. Jordan Green picked up the ball just inside the City half on the right hand side and went on a typical mazy and surging run forward and across the field to inside the penalty area on the left hand side leaving defenders trailing in his wake before slotting the ball past the advancing Scott into the far corner of the net.

Banbury United: Leigh Bedwell, Jacob Walcott, Marvin Martin, Joel Meade, Carl Tappin, Jack Westbrook, Jordan Green, Thomas Amegnaglo, Lerou Tahin (Deqwon Ebanks 62), Nathaniel Lewars (Kane Pope 80), Darius Browne (Tom Ryan 90). Subs (not used): Declan Hartigan, Luke Cray.

Oxford City: Mark Scott, Declan Benjamin, Paul Stonehouse, Adrian Santiago (Mamadou Fofana 68), Lee Henderson, Helge Orome, Paulo Mendes (Adi Yussuf 71), Ander Del Alamo, Lewis Wilson, Felipe Barcelos, Tom Winters, Subs (not used): Luke Coulson, Salva De La Cruz,

Attendance: 103