With the recent flooding all over the country, this first game of 2024 which was originally scheduled to be played in Tamworth was moved to Nineacres in Charlbury with the Banbury Plant Hire Community stadium also currently under water!

It was a scrappy start to the game, fair to say that both teams were suffering a bit from a Christmas hangover, the quality of passing wasn't great and the game was mainly a midfield battle. After the first 15 minutes Coton Green started to improve and Jacob Humphries in goal had to make two good saves. The first of which was well saved with his feet when the Coton Green wide right forward managed to wriggle through and get his shot away on goal. The second was an excellent tip over after a fierce strike from an acute angle.

Banbury huffed and puffed in the opening 30 minutes, but a couple of long range strikes from Josh and Zach were wide and well saved, and despite getting in some promising positions our final ball was poor or the wrong option was chosen.

Coton Green took the lead on 34 minutes, we failed to clear our lines defensively the ball came out to the dangerous Coton Green number 11 a real thorn in the side throughout the match, he hit a powerful shot towards goal it took a slight deflection on its way through giving no chance to Jacob as it flew into the corner of the net 0-1.

This proved to be a real catalyst for change in the match. United now realising that they were in a real match, really started to impose themselves on the game. Tyra came on as a substitute and proved to be a real difference maker. Firstly he should tremendous endeavor to powerfully shrug off a defender just outside the penalty area, he drove into the box and was cynically taken down with a penalty awarded. After a little debate on who was taking the resulting spot kick Lewis confidently stepped up and fired the ball into the right corner of the net for 1-1 on 41 minutes.

Then 1 minute into stoppage time Banbury United took the lead. Jacob Hayes picked up the ball midway in the Coton half, and clipped a fine pass into the feet of Tyra in the penalty area, Tyra swiveled and struck the ball low past the keeper into the bottom corner 2-1 and turnaround complete before half time.

Into the second half Banbury started well, and were clearly the team in the ascendency .The team had all of the ball, and the territory and were pinning Coton Green back. Five minutes into the second half came the real turning point in the match. A moment that actually beggars belief! Jack played a good slide rule through to Josh who timed his run well, he stroked the ball first time into the corner of the net seemingly to give United a two goal cushion. However the ball struck the wheel mechanism on the inside of the net and bounced back out with the coton green defender clearing the ball behind for a corner.

The ball was clearly and unequivocally over the line. Players from both teams, parents and spectators and both coaching teams some 50 yards away could quite obviously see that the ball had gone in and a goal should of been awarded. Only two people on the pitch thought otherwise, the opposition linesman and the referee. They decided they couldn't confirm if the ball had crossed the line or not, and no goal was awarded.

I try my best to remain impartial when writing these match reports, but this was without doubt one of the worst decisions I have seen on a football pitch, the 'ghost goal' that should of given the Banbury United U18s a cushion was cruelly chalked off. From this moment on its fair to say the referee completely lost control of the match, and barely managed to make a correct decision for the remaining 35 minutes plus of the match. He even managed to award a goal kick following the goal after the defender cleared the ball out for a corner. Mind Blown. In the aftermath of the shocking decision Ben was cautioned for telling the referee he had made an error in judgement!

Despite this injustice United continued to play on the front foot. Zach struck a lovely free kick against the foot of the post, the rebound falling perfectly for Jacob Hayes 8 yards out but despite a good connection his effort was straight at the keeper.

Zach then fired another effort from just outside the area inches wide of the post, and Jacob Hayes with another half chance fired high and over the crossbar. The two teams were playing the match competitively, but in a good spirit. The referee however seemed intent on making himself the focal point, and was continuously making poor decision on the awarding of free kicks, leaving dangerous tackles unpunished and getting basic refereeing decisions incorrect.

On 71 minutes another huge turning point in the match. Charlie who was having a discussion with his fellow centre back partner was called over by the referee and sin binned for apparent dissent. The ref then wondered over to the coaches side and wanted to punish either myself or Ben for words that we apparently said. The coaches on the opposition team had to tell the the referee that we quite rightly didn't say anything. The ref was on a one man campaign to ruin the match, and he had succeeded.

With the team down to ten men, its fair to say that United didn't adjust or react well enough, and Coton Green scored two goals in the 76th and 82nd minute to turn the game around. Both goals scored by the impressive number 11 who firstly round the keeper to equalise, and the drove in at the near post to complete his hat trick and put his team in front 2-3, this despite a clear handball going unpunshed in the build up.

Its worth noting at this point that a sin bin at the under 18 age group should last for 10 minutes. When the Coton Green third goal went in on 82 minutes, Charlie was still off the pitch despite being sin binned in the 71st minute. We were not allowed to have our full compliment of players back on the pitch until midway through the 86th minute, over 15 minutes!

With 11 players back on the pitch United through everything into trying to find an equaliser, a lovely flick by Tai sent Tyra through on goal, but his effort high and wide. Zach then had two more good efforts at goal the first marginally wide of the post, the other smashed off the inside of the post and away to safety.

This kind of summed up the day for the team. Luck wasn't with us, Fine margins, missed opportunities, poor game management at times and even poorer officiating . A game that should of been won, and if not for the 'ghost goal' almost certainly would of been.

Full Time
Banbury United U18 2 Coton Green U18 3
Goalscorers - Lewis Middleton, Tyra Aitken
Assists - Tyra Aitken, Jacob Hayes
MOTM - Tyra Aitken