United move back to the top of the table after goals from Charlie Wise and Felipe Barcelos earn them three points at Wantage.

Not surprisingly after the heavy rain overnight the pitch was very heavy and difficult but clearly playable and the home ground staff, particularly having seen pictures of the pitch early morning, had done an excellent job just to get the game on.

United manager Mike Ford made changes to the starting eleven from that which had played on Saturday against Tiverton, bringing in Ollie Stanbridge to midfield, allowing Jack Westbrook to revert back to his more familiar role at centre back and Ricky Johnson to move up front. Darius Browne also came in to partner Ricky Johnson up front with Felipe Barcelos and Leam Howards both having to be satisfied with starting on the bench.

Banbury, with the strong wind behind them, dominated from the start. In the 8th minute a Mark Bell shot from the edge of the penalty area went just wide. Five minutes later Bell found Johnson 15 yards out but a defender managed to deflect the shot from United’s leading goalscorer up and then for it to scrape the top of the bar before going over.

A defensive mistake at the back did present a chance in the 18th minute to Wantage’s Sam Collier but through on goal he shot well over the bar from a narrow angle on the left as Jack Harding came out to narrow the angle.

In the 21st minute a free kick from a central position almost 30 yards out proved too hot for Eddie Cavanagh in the Wantage goal to hold but the loose ball was then hacked away by a defender before following in United players could get there. In the 30th minute an Ollie Stanbridge cross from the right found Bell whose shot from the edge of the penalty area was saved by Cavanagh.

Wantage had a bit more of the ball in the last fifteen minutes of the half but overall it was 45 minutes that Banbury had dominated, though unable to convert that dominance into a goal, it was 0-0 at the interval.

Six minutes into the second half and good play down the left by Bell saw him take the ball inside the penalty area to the bye-line where he was brought down by Adam Doyle for a clear penalty. However, Bell’s low spot-kick was then saved by Cavanagh.

Banbury didn’t though have long to think and brood over the miss, as they were immediately back on the attack and just seconds later a Bell cross from the left was headed just inches wide by Charlie Wise. Then a further minute on, a corner from the left by Bell was met ten yards out by Wise and though his header was hacked away from under the bar by a defender, the ball was ruled to have crossed the line by an eagle-eyed Assistant Referee, much to the delight of the United central defender who thus notched his first goal for the club.

Having scored it was relatively comfortable for Banbury from this point on and they would effectively seal the three points in the 73rd minute when a long kick out by Harding saw Felipe Barcelos use his pace to get ahead of the Wantage defence and then in a one-on-one with Cavanagh he shot from just inside the penalty area and though the custodian got his fingertips to the ball he was unable to stop it looping over his head and rolling into the back of the net.

Whilst United may not be finding the goals easy to come by at the moment, this was a game that they dominated from start to finish and no one can argue against that they were much the better side and fully deserved winners.

The win moves United back to the top of the table a point ahead of Cinderford, who were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Shortwood United, albeit the Forest of Dean side have three games in hand of the Puritans.

Wantage Town: Eddie Cavanagh, Ryan Elliott, Cameron McNeil, Adam Doyle (Jared Jones 79), Carl Evans, James Glover, Sam Barder, Gio Wrona, Jake Johns (Mark Francis 62), Sam Collier, Nick Kalakoutis (Tai Hulbert-Thomas 82). Subs (not used): Josias Carbon, Aaron Oakley.

Banbury United: Jack Harding, Callum White (Michael Hopkins 46), Miles Welch-Hayes, Ollie Stanbridge (Leam Howards 79), Charlie Wise, Jack Westbrook, Zac McEachran, George Nash, Ricky Johnson, Darius Browne (Felipe Barcelos 56), Mark Bell. Subs (not used) Jacob Blackstock, James McCarthy.

Attendance: 180