Banbury began the game brightly enough but were rocked back in the 10th minute when, rather “out of the blue”, David Accum fired a superb shot from the edge of the area which flew into the top corner of the net giving Joe Murrell in the Banbury goal no chance.

This seemed to unsettle Banbury who from this point on for the rest of the half struggled to string any penetrating passes together, giving the ball away and causing very few problems for the Evesham defence. In fact goalkeeper Nathan Vaughan failed to be tested as the Puritans struggled to create any chances.

Evesham had a particularly good spell midway through the half when Murrell was called upon twice in a couple of minutes to make decent saves to keep the score at just 1-0.

However just when it looked as though Banbury would get through to half time just one goal in arrears hesitation in the rearguard saw Marcus Palmer on 41 minutes lift the ball over a late advancing Murrell into the back of the net from around 10 yards to make it 2-0 – a half time scoreline that Banbury could not complain about.

Banbury put on an improved showing in the second period in what turned out to be an exciting 45 minutes of football.

Banbury pushed forward searching for a way back into the game early in the second period and got their reward on 50 minutes when a long ball pumped down the field caught the Evesham defence rather static and Marvin Martin running through got there before the defender and though having gone wide it looked an impossible angle he opted to shoot for goal. Though Nathan Vaughan, the Evesham goalkeeper, was guarding the near post the shot was hit so ferociously and on target that the custodian was only able to deflect it into the net.

Not surprisingly the goal lifted Banbury and on 57 minutes Joe Coleman found himself in on goal but as Vaughan came out to narrow the angle he failed to test the keeper and shot over the bar.

Banbury had been taking the game to Evesham but all this time the home side continued to look dangerous going forward and just after the hour mark they restored their two goal lead when a good move opened up the Banbury defence and Danny Scheppel fired the ball home.

Banbury responded on 65 minutes when some good inter-passing put Declan Benjamin through and he got to the ball just before the goalkeeper and knocked it past Vaughan from around 8 yards to make it 2-3. The closest Banbury got to getting on level terms in the game came in the 68th minute when a cross from the left was met at the far post by David Staff who out-jumped a defender but his header unluckily came back off the opposite post with Vaughan well beaten.

With Evesham still looking dangerous on the break it was though no surprise when they once more restored their two goal lead on 82 minutes when an Isaac Shaze shot from the edge of the area found the bottom left hand corner of the net.

Banbury were not finished though and still came back at Evesham and just two minutes later a free-kick on the left was put into the danger area and Henry Owen found himself virtually unchallenged at the far post and running in he competently headed the ball past Vaughan to score Banbury’s third of the afternoon and reduce the deficit to one once more.

Banbury continued to push forward though an equaliser eluded them.

Evesham United: Nathan Vaughan, Anthony Watson, David Accam, Wayne Daniel, Steve Luckett, Neil Barnfield, Danny Scheppel, Sam Mensah, Marcus Palmer (Dean Lea 90), Leo Brown, Isaac Shaze. Unused Subs: Zac Costello, Lewis Syers, Hegel Noubissie, Louis Hamilton.

Banbury United: Joe Murrell, Robbie Maddox, Henry Owen, Delroy Gordon, Adam Learoyd, Malachi Farquharson, Joe Coleman, Declan Benjamin, David Stone, Marvin Martin, David Staff. Unused Subs: Ross Oulton, Luke Cray, David Buckwell, Ollie Stanbridge, Henry Rose.

Attendance: 110