Banbury United will begin next season as a Southern League Division One side after this loss at Chesham condemned them to relegation from the Premier Division.

In order to stay up Banbury needed to win at Chesham and also for Frome Town to lose to St Neots Town. Neither of those events happened.

This was a game that Chesham began the better of the two sides and in the fifth minute they went close when a cross from the left by Connor Wood was struck over the bar by Dave Pearce from ten yards.

United’s first effort on goal would come in the 12th minute when a Kynan Isaac low drive from 25 yards went just wide. This was the start of a little better spell for Banbury with them forcing a couple of corners in quick succession though nothing came of them.

However, the game lost its way after this and the rest of the half though fairly even was very much the proverbial non-event with both sides struggling to create any decent opportunities.

United though started the second half much better. Just two minutes into this period a partially blocked Jack Westbrook shot looked to be falling to Leam Howards but Shane Gore was alert to come out and smother the ball and collect just before United’s leading goalscorer could get there.

United’s bright start to the second half didn’t continue though and as the half developed further Chesham began to have the better of the game and look the more likely to score. Chesham were certainly unfortunate not to go ahead in the 62nd minute when Pearce lifted the ball from the edge of the penalty area over Leigh Bedwell in the Banbury goal, only for him to see his shot come back of the crossbar.

This near-miss seemed to wake Banbury up and two minutes later an Isaac shot from 12 yards was tipped around the post by Gore for a corner. With a quarter of an hour to go Howards broke through on goal and though his shot was parried away by Gore, Jordan Green headed the bouncing ball over the custodian only to be unfortunate to see it hit the crossbar and go over.

In the 80th minute it got more difficult for Banbury when Joel Meade was shown a straight red card following an altercation with Nick Beasant.

To be fair United, despite the man disadvantage, pushed players forward in the final ten minutes and ironically it was probably their best spell of the game. However, they could not find a way through and with players forward in desperation they found themselves stretched at the back and in the second minute of stoppage time Chesham sealed Banbury’s fate when a quick break ended with Pearce neatly curling the ball around Bedwell from the edge of the penalty area into the far corner of the net.

Chesham United: Shane Gore, George Fenton, Daniel Braithwaite (Tom McConway 70), Robbie Cundy, Nick Beasant, Toby Little, Connor Wood, James Dobson, Ryan Blake, Mark Bell (Jack Harris 65), Dave Pearce. Subs (Not used): David Fotheringham, Shaun Reece, Alex Brown.

Banbury United: Leigh Bedwell, Jacob Daffern (Tom Fishwick 86), Marvin Martin, Joel Meade, Jack Westbrook, Tom Ryan, Jordan Green, Shepherd Murombedzi (Jacob Walcott 65), Leam Howards, Kynan Isaac, Hicham Abdellah. Subs (not used): Luke Cray, Darius Browne, Carl Tappin.

Attendance: 375