It was the worst of possible starts for Banbury. Dean Snedker did well to save with his feet a Ryan Blake effort in the second minute but from the resultant right sided corner, taken by Josh Webb, an unmarked Ryan Upward headed the ball home from six yards with Scott Bridges standing on the goal line unable to do anything but help the ball into the net.

United “huffed and puffed” but struggled to create clear chances as the half wore on. They were though unfortunate not to equalise in the final minute of the half when Bridges fed the ball through to Kynan Isaac inside the penalty area on the right who with his back to goal used his trickery to make room for a shot and turning sharply he curled a shot which looked destined for the top far corner of the net, only for Michael Watkins to pull out an excellent save by tipping the ball around the post for a corner.

However three minutes into the second half and United were 2-0 down. It came from a Bridges free kick a few yards outside the Burnham penalty area on the left. The ball was pumped into the danger area and Leon Simpson’s effort was pushed away by Watkins leading to a scramble in the box but Burnham eventually got the ball away and broke with speed. The ball was played up to Blake wide on the right and with Banbury short of numbers at the back as a result of pushing players up for the free-kick his centre found Upward totally free and unmarked who calmly slotted the ball home past Snedker from the edge of the penalty area as the custodian came out.

Now 2-0 down, Banbury struggled to make any inroads into the game but this all changed in the 81st minute when Aaron Morgan crossed from the right into the Burnham penalty area and Isaac was bundled over with the referee pointing to the spot. Watkins was rather unlucky not to save the spot-kick from Bridges as he got down low to his left and initially looked as though he had saved it but the ball had enough pace on it to spin back over the line and into the net.

Banbury now seemed to believe in themselves once more and pushing forward they never gave up and got the equaliser in the final minute of normal time. Isaac chased down and won the ball off a defender on the right bye-line. He then crossed into the penalty area where Watkins pushed the ball away but only as far as substitute Marcus Green just inside the penalty area who shot low into the corner of the net.

Banbury United: Dean Snedker, Scott Bridges, Tanasheh Abrahams, Kynan Isaac, Leon Simpson (Nic Evangelinos 74), Tom Ryan, Kyal McNulty, Claudio Dias, Albi Skendi (Marcus Green 85), Aaron Morgan, Adeyinka Talabi (John Mbamarah 57). Subs (not used): Anderson Pinto, Ashley Dumbleton.

Burnham: Michael Watkins, Ashleigh Smith, Diak John, Anthony Page, Tom Baddeley, Joe Maloney, Josh Webb, Ryan Upward, Ryan Blake, Marc Charles-Smith, Aaron Couch. Used Subs: Harry Baddeley, Dan Molloy, Nicke Kabamba. Subs (not used): Sam Boultwood, Jordan Dowdican.

Attendance: 269