The first decent chance of the game would come the visitors’ way in the 11th minute when some good crisp passing in midfield sent Alan O’Brien through on goal but he shot well over the bar from the edge of the penalty area.

Four minutes later though and Hungerford were in front when a long throw from the left taken by James Rusby into the Banbury penalty area saw Darius Browne penalised for a handball offence. Mark Draycott made no mistake with the spot-kick.

Within 60 seconds a cross from the left by O’Brien forced Leigh Bedwell in the Banbury goal to punch the ball away but only as far as James Clark twelve yards out whose goal-bound header, with Bedwell on the floor, was headed up and over his own bar by centre-half Joel Meade.

From this point on in the half Banbury competed well with the league high-flyers though they were unable to create any clear chances against the second best rated defence in the league until the 38th minute. Joel Meade made an excellent long pass out to Darius Browne wide on the left who put the ball across the six yard box and though no one was there it ran through to Jacob Walcott wide on the right hand edge of the penalty area who laid it back to Duran Martin whose shot from just inside the penalty area went just a foot over the bar.

Just three minutes later though and Banbury equalised when Jordan Green from a central position passed the ball out to Browne wide on the left who then took the ball around full back Gary Horgan before laying it back from the bye-line to Green, who had run forward to just inside the penalty area on the left. Green quickly brought the ball under control and struck it from 12 yards low into the far corner of the net.

Neither goalkeeper was unduly troubled in the first twenty minutes of the second half though credit to Banbury’s defence who looked much sounder than in recent games as Hungerford enjoyed the slightly greater share of possession.

In the 67th minute a free kick from just inside the Hungerford half taken by Duran Martin saw his brother Marvin head the ball on at the 12 yard mark to Tom Ryan who out-jumped James Rusby at the six yard line but the centre-half couldn’t keep his header down and the ball went over the bar.

On 71 minutes a corner from the left by Duran Martin was put into the six yard box where Leam Howards bundled the ball goalwards but Horgan was on hand a yard out to head the ball away.

Hungerford had a good chance in the 80th minute when good play on the right involving Lee Smith and Matthew Collins saw the latter cross the ball into the centre where it found Harry Goodger just six yards out but his header went straight at Bedwell.

It looked as though United had earned a fully deserved point against the league high-flyers but two minutes into stoppage time at the end of the second half they were cruelly to be denied this when a cross from wide on the right by Horgan was headed on deep inside the penalty area on the left by James Clark to Draycott who showed his lethal finishing ability by striking the ball with venom from six yards into the far corner of the net.

First Half Video Highlights (2:43)

Second Half Video Highlights (3:12)

Banbury United: Leigh Bedwell, Luke Cray, Marvin Martin, Joel Meade, Carl Tappin, Tom Ryan, Jordan Green (Umit Eminoglu 86), Duran Martin, Leam Howards (Kane Pope 74), Jacob Walcott, Darius Browne (Guy Tahin 83). Subs (not used) Callum White, Ben Whitehead.

Hungerford Town: Paul Strudley, Gary Horgan, Diak John, James Rusby, Matt Day, James Pilling (Sam Wilson 56), James Clark, Matthew Collins, Charlie Mpi (Lee Smith 56), Mark Draycott, Alan O’Brien (Harry Goodger 66). Subs (not used): Isaac Osei-Tutu, Scott Rees.

Attendance: 270