Dunstable began the better of the two sides and United were rather fortunate not to go behind as early as the fourth minute when Christopher Marsh’s shot thundered back off the post. Just sixty seconds later and a Dunstable corner from the left taken by Charlie Henry fell to Shane Blackett at the far post but he shot well over from just five yards out.

United responded just two minutes later with their first decent attack, Jordan Green picking the ball up just inside the Dunstable half and then going on a surging run to the edge of the visitors penalty area before seeing his low drive go just wide.

United now worked their way into the game and as the half wore on began to have as much possession at the visitors. In the 22nd minute Green went on another run from just inside the Dunstable half, this time exchanging passes with Adeyinka Talabi which opened up the visitors defence but Green’s shot from just inside the penalty area was well saved by Charlie May with Blackett scrambling the loose ball away.

On the half hour mark Joel McKenzie-Lowe’s low cross from the right saw the incoming Elliott Bailey look likely to score but stretching he failed to connect properly at the six yard line. Seconds later the ball came back into the Banbury penalty area from the left via a low cross from Adam Watkins but Henry’s shot from 12 yards was deflected wide by defender Marvin Martin.

A minute before the interval a Martin free-kick into the Dunstable penalty area saw Tom Ryan’s header fall to Hartigan in space at the 12 yard mark but he volleyed well wide.

Five minutes into the second half Watkins fired well over the bar from 22 yards. In the 59th minute a Dunstable corner from the right was only cleared out as far as Henry just inside the penalty area on the right whose shot flashed just wide of the far post. Dunstable were having the better of the game at this point and two minutes later a hoofed ball down the field from Watkins put substitute Gary Wharton through on goal but his attempted loft of the ball over Leigh Bedwell was poor and failed to trouble the custodian. Sixty seconds later and Dunstable had the best chance of the afternoon to that point when Watkins took the ball to the edge of Banbury penalty area where from a central position he laid it off to Marsh on his left who in plenty of space took the ball around the advancing Bedwell but full back Jacob Walcott did exceptionally well to get back and chest the goal-bound shot off the line and away and keep United on level terms.

In the 73rd minute a long kick out from goalkeeper May saw Wharton use his strength to bustle his way through to get hold of the ball on the edge of the Banbury penalty area but having created the chance he then shot well over. However, two minutes later it would be Banbury who would make the breakthrough when Jordan Green knocked the ball forward down the right for substitute Leam Howards, who had joined the fray just a few minutes earlier, to run onto and United’s leading goalscorer used his pace to get ahead of full back Danny May before shooting low past Charlie May into the back of the net.

And Howards became the hero of the hour just three minutes later when he headed home Hicham Abdella’s cross from the right into the top corner of the net to make it 2-0.

In the 84th minute Dunstable pulled a goal back when a free kick from wide on the right taken by Garry Jones fell to Tony Burnett at the far post who stabbed the ball home. It was an anxious final six minutes of normal time and a further five minutes of stoppage time but, much to the relief of the home supporters, United held out to earn the three points which moves them off the bottom of the table.

Banbury United: Leigh Bedwell, Jacob Walcott, Marvin Martin, Jack Westbrook, Carl Tappin, Tom Ryan, Jordan Green, Declan Hartigan, Adeyinka Talabi (Leam Howards 68), Kynan Isaac, Hicham Abdellah (Darius Browne 89). Subs (not used): Luke Cray, Duran Martin, Nathaniel Lewars.

Dunstable Town: Charlie May, Danny May, David Lynn, Shane Blackett, Steven Gregory, Garry Jones, Adam Watkins, Charlie Henry, Jamale McKenzie-Lowe (Tony Burnett 53), Elliott Bailey (Gary Wharton 53), Christopher Marsh. Subs (not used): George Hewitt, Tony Fontanelle.

Attendance: 242