29-10-22. Match report Vs Banbury Utd

Harriers snatch three points on the road

Report: Dan Harper

The Harriers backed up their first victory in nearly a month on Tuesday, against Chorley FC, with a professional performance away at Banbury Utd to see off a second-half onslaught and take the three points. Banbury hadn’t lost a home league game this season and their last home defeat came at the start of the year in January to Redditch Utd.

It would be the away side that started the brighter of the two sides including winning an early corner however the first effort of the afternoon, as the clock ticked past the thirteenth minute, was from Banbury when Jack Stevens had his shot saved low by Tom Palmer after great play from Alex Babos. The away side’s first chance of note would come in the nineteenth minute as a Harriers corner fell to the feet of Keziah Martin who hammered an effort on the volley that struck off the bar causing Jack Harding, in the Banbury goal, to have his first scare of the afternoon.

After a brief scare for us with Ethan Freemantle clashing with Harding the Harriers took the lead seven minutes later in the thirty second minute when a fantastic ball was driven in from the left by Gabby Rogers and found the head of Ashley Hemmings who nodded it past Harding.

Despite a flurry of half chances for the home side, including an effort that blazed over the Harriers goal from Ben Acquaye, the away side entered half-time with a narrow lead.

HT: 0 – 1

The Harriers started the second half with plenty of intent to add a second, Freemantle had a goal-bound header cleared in the forty eighth minute while twenty minutes later, following building Banbury pressure, Hemmings let in Joe Starbuck who saw his effort flash across goal much to the frustration of the front two for a lack of a cross.

Three minutes later the maker of the first goal, Gabby Rogers, had an effort on goal from an angle however it blazed over the bar. Harriers supporter’s nerves were starting to grow as they took a slim lead into the final twenty minutes of the game.

Banbury had arguably their best chance seven minutes later in the seventy ninth minute when, from a corner, Sam Brown found himself unmarked in the area before skying his header over the bar of Palmer in the Harriers goal.

As nerves grew, and pressure built, in the final ten minutes the Harriers looked to have the job done however they almost got caught out in the ninety fourth minute as Palmer made a game-winning save from Slavi Spasov, who was played through on goal, and took a whack in the process as the ball was put behind for a Banbury corner that came to nothing.

The Harriers finally got the job done and in the process achieved a second successive 1-0 win in four days. They now look to be building momentum and will want to extend that to three wins in a row as they travel to Scarborough Athletic on Tuesday (1st November).

In terms of MOTM for this win, I would award it to Ashley Hemmings who would ultimately be the game decider.

FT: 0 – 1

Goal for Harriers: Hemmings 32

The Harriers Online MotM is: Ashley Hemmings

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Banbury Utd	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Harding
Roberts
S Brown
Smile
Radcliffe
Baros			67
Hickman
Rasulo
Spasov
Stevens			46
Acquaye
Subs:
Taylor
Landen			46
Hawtin
Reilly			67
Dugmore
Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Palmer
Starbuck
Richards
Leak
Pearce
Byrne
Rogers			80
Martin
Morgan-Smith
Hemmings			96
Freemantle			80
Subs:
Lowe
Ceesay			80
Z Brown			80
Bearne
Margetson			96
Referee:
Mr Jamie O’Connor
Chesterfield