It was an uneventful opening to the game. Not until the 13th minute was there anything of note when Charlie Griffin’s 25 yard free-kick was turned around the post by United goalkeeper Leigh Bedwell.

But just four minutes later the visitors were in front when a cross from the right by Jordan Roberts saw Griffin, in plenty of space and time, knock the ball home at the far post.

United at least responded to going behind with some better play over the next ten minutes. Jordan Green picked up the ball from a throw in on the right, in line with the edge of the penalty area, and went on one of his trademark jinky runs taking the ball across the field and then down deep inside the left hand side of the penalty area before his shot from 10 yards was headed over the bar by Mark Preece for a corner.

But Chippenham would make it 2-0 in the 34th minute when a long throw from the right by Michael Pook was headed on at the near post by Preece to Griffin who knocked the ball home from under the cross bar at the far post.

Just four minutes later and United were opened up once again when Jordan Roberts, Alex Ferguson and Griffin combined well down the right before the last named passed the ball through to Ashan Holgate down the left hand side of the penalty area who, finding himself in more space than you would find on Scarborough beach in the depths of winter, had time to control the ball and pick his spot firing the ball past Bedwell into the far top corner of the net.

Leading United goalscorer Leam Howards came on at the start of the second half and in the 53rd minute he had pulled a goal back when a Marvin Martin shot from just inside the penalty are on the left fell to him at the far post and he slotted the ball home from close in.

But any hopes of a remarkable comeback were effectively dashed just four minutes later when an in-swinging corner from the left taken by Pook saw the ball headed home from just four yards out all too easily by Ferguson.

United were fortunate it was not 5-1 in the 65th minute when Griffin hit a 22 yard shot which thundered against the post.

In the 79th minute a free kick from wide on the left taken by Hicham Abdellah went across the six yard box and found its way into the far corner of the net without anyone touching it. It was though too little too late for United.

With Frome Town surprisingly beating Hungerford Town, United are now ten points away from safety.

Banbury United: Leigh Bedwell, Jacob Walcott, Marvin Martin, Tom Fishwick, Carl Tappin (Nathaniel Lewars 84), Tom Ryan, Jordan Green, Jack Westbrook (Jacob Daffern 70), Kynan Isaac, Aaron Weston (Leam Howards 46), Hicham Abdellah. Subs (not used): Darius Browne, Luke Cray.

Kent Kauppinen, Conor McCormack, Jon Beedon, Matt Coupe, Jordan Roberts, Mark Preece, Alex Ferguson, Michael Pook, Charlie Griffin, Ashan Holgate (Jack Odam 86), James Guthrie (Luke Ballinger 90). Subs (not used): Charlie Norman, Iain Harvey.

Attendance: 328