Banbury belied their lowly league position when they produced a gutsy display to go down only 12-0 at home to leaders Kettering.
The Bulls welcomed back winger James Taylor and centre Graeme Cartmell from injury, while flanker Sean Bannister was pressed into service as an emergency hooker, having only just recovered from a shoulder injury.
Much of the game was played deep in the Banbury half, and within the first half-hour, the Kettering wingers had scored a try apiece.
Just as it looked as if the floodgates might open, Banbury knuckled down and wave after wave of Kettering attacks foundered on an uncompromising defence.
Kettering failed to add to their score as Banbury, although hampered by injuries to inspirational skipper Will Brooks, prop Eddie Cummings and centre Andy Noyce, plus the removal to the sin-bin of flanker Mark Herlihy, tackled everything that moved.
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