It was a scrappy and uneventful opening until United gifted the visitors a goal in the 29th minute. Goalkeeper Leigh Bedwell and central defender Tom Ryan got into a mix up when trying to deal with a long ball through the middle from Mark Coulson with Jon Woolf nipping in and slotting the ball into the vacant net from 18 yards though there was a valiant effort from Jack Westbrook to keep the ball out as he rushed back to cover.

Just two minutes later and Biggleswade went close to making it 2-0 when an in-swinging corner from the right by Lee Reed saw Josh Beech get his head to the ball ahead of Bedwell inside the six yard box only for Carl Tappin to block the ball on the line before it was then hacked clear by Jacob Walcott.

United would though get an equaliser in the 39th minute when Darius Browne crossed the ball from wide on the left over to Walcott on the right hand edge of the Biggleswade penalty area who then crossed hard and low into the six yard area where Steve Gentle from four yards out directed the ball into his own net.

United started the second half well. In the 53rd minute Duran Martin put in an in-swinging cross from the left and Leam Howards got in front of the Biggleswade defence and deflected the ball goalwards from just four yards out. Though his effort was parried away by Ian Brown in the Biggleswade goal, the loose ball was then back-heeled by Tom Ryan from five yards out only to be handled by Cam Mawer on the ground to stop it going into the net. The referee pointed to the penalty spot and sent off Mawer.

Jacob Walcott stepped up to take the penalty kick but it was well saved by Brown low down to his left, the ball then being hacked away for a corner. However the miss was not to prove costly as from the resultant corner, taken by Duran Martin, Tom Ryan rose five yards out above the Biggleswade defence to head the ball home into the top of the net.

Now 2-1 up and playing against ten men it looked good for Banbury as they proceeded to have much the better of the game and looked in control.

However, on 73 minutes some less than impressive defending from United and Biggleswade were level at 2-2. A free kick taken by former Puritan Kyal McNulty on the left hand edge of the Banbury penalty area was floated over to the far post where Beech found himself free just five yards out and though Bedwell got his feet to the header he couldn’t stop the ball from entering the net.

Banbury would go on to dominate the remainder of the game but were unable to breakdown the Biggleswade defence and create any clear cut chances.

Banbury United: Leigh Bedwell, Luke Cray, Marvin Martin, Carl Tappin, Jack Westbrook, Tom Ryan, Jordan Green, Duran Martin (Harry Jervis 69), Leam Howards (Ben Whitehead 79), Jacob Walcott, Darius Browne, Subs (not used): Ciaran Houston, Frankie Baigent, Scott Smith.

Biggleswade Town: Ian Brown, Connor Roberts, Andrew Iwediuno, Cam Mawer, Steve Gentle, Lee Reed, Jon Woolf (De'Juene Crossdale-Taylor 49), Josh Beech, Kelvin Bossman, Kyal McNulty, Mark Coulson. Subs (not used): Craig Daniel, Lee Northfield, Zac Tyrell.

Attendance: 122