United go into Tuesday's home game against Slough Town knowing that victory will take their relegation battle to the wire on the last day of the season at Chesham United next Saturday.

With Frome drawing at Slough today they are six points ahead of United. However, Frome have just one game remaining whilst United have two, thus wins for United in both their games and a defeat for Frome at home to play-off chasing St Neots Town next Saturday will see both sides finishing level on points. Whilst Frome's goal difference is currently better by four goals, it will only need for Banbury to win one of their two games by more than a one goal margin or Frome to lose their game by more than a one goal margin to turn it around as United have scored more goals.

Banbury began the game with promise. In the 13th minute United created a good opportunity when good play down the right involving Jordan Green, Leam Howards and Kynan Isaac saw the last named do well to create a shooting chance from ten yards out but the shot went just over the bar.

However, United would take a deserved lead in the 19th minute when a long kick down field from goalkeeper Leigh Bedwell was knocked forward from the half way line by Jordan Green towards Isaac who got the better of Ashley White and Evan Key on the edge of the Histon penalty area before he lifting the ball over an exposed Enol Ordonez in the visitor’s goal into the back of the net.

In the 26th minute Hicham Abdellah went close to increasing United’s lead when he took the ball in from the left and unleashed a superb striker which Ordonez did very well to punch away.

Three minutes later Histon’s first decent chance came when Ayrton Bevins took the ball inside from the right before setting up striker Geoff Mitchell but his shot from the six yard line was saved by the feet of Bedwell.

A minute before the interval and a free kick from United’s Joel Meade wide on the right went across to Abdellah on the left who knocked the ball into the centre where Jack Westbrook fought hard for the ball against a couple of defenders to set up Isaac who unleased a shot which looked destined for the bottom corner of the net before Ordonez at full stretch tipped the ball away for a corner.

Five minutes into the second half and Tom Ryan had an excellent chance to double United’s advantage when a corner from the right by Isaac fell to him just six yards out but with the goal at his mercy he managed to blast the ball over the bar when it looked easier to score.

On 55 minutes a Histon free-kick from the left was pumped into the Banbury penalty area and with the defence struggling to clear the ball it fell to Rumens just inside the penalty area but the chance was not taken as his shot went well wide.

However, United would get the crucial second goal a minute before the hour mark. A corner from the right by Isaac caused Histon problems in the six yard box the ball pinging around before a shot from Joel Meade was blocked but then forced over the line by Howards from close range.

Just 15 seconds after Histon had kicked-off, Banbury were nearly caught out and Bedwell had to be sharp to preserve United’s two goal lead when he spread himself superbly to save a shot from Bevins from just six yards out.

Histon had their best spell of the game at this stage and in the 70th minute Mitchell broke through down the left hand side before passing the ball low across into the centre where Bevins somehow failed to connect properly from close in and the ball was hacked away by Abdellah. A minute later a virtually similar move saw Mitchell’s cross again fell to Bevins but the shot from five yards was again not struck properly and it went wide.

In the 78th minute a Histon corner from the right saw Rogan McGeorge’s shot from 12 yards deflected just wide and then from that left sided corner Bevins had a free header from just six yards out but he put it well wide.

However, Banbury would effectively seal the points in the 83rd minute when Isaac took the ball down the right wing before cutting it back to Jacob Walcott whose shot cum shot fell to Howards in the centre and though United’s leading goalscorer’s first effort was blocked by Ordonez he then cheekily back-heeled the ball into the back of the net from four yards out.

A minute later Histon’s Ashley White was sent off for a second yellow card offence before United added a fourth with three minutes to go. A free-kick from just outside the penalty area on the left hand side was put into the Histon penalty area with the ball bobbling about until it fell to Tom Ryan and though his shot was saved by Ordonez the rebound fell to substitute Carl Tappin 12 yards out who fired it into the top corner of the net.

Link to Video of the four goals

First Half Highlights

Second Half Highlights

Banbury United: Leigh Bedwell, Jacob Daffern, Marvin Martin, Joel Meade, Jack Westbrook, Tom Ryan, Jordan Green (Jacob Walcott 79), Shepherd Murombedzi (Carl Tappin 85), Leam Howards, Kynan Isaac, Hicham Abdellah (Luke Cray 74). Subs (not used): Darius Browne, Tom Fishwick.

Histon: Enol Ordenez, Miles Smith (Max York 67), Ashley White, Evan Key, Danny Rumens, Ryan Auger, Eugene Libertucci, Curtis Fulcher (Rogan McGeorge 63), Geoff Mitchell, Ayrton Bevins, Peter Clark (Luis McCoy 73). Subs (not used): Salim Relizani.

Attendance: 336