Banbury Utd 0

Chippenham Tn 5 (Bennett og 20, Pratt 51, pen 70, Martin 54, Sercombe 82)

Banbury United manager Kieran Sullivan quit immediately after his side’s crushing home defeat by Chippenham on Saturday.

The result leaves the struggling Premier Divison club just above the relegation zone.

Sullivan, a former Banbury captain, took over as manager in the summer of 2007, after Kevin Brock resigned due to the club’s financial cutbacks. Reserve team managers Paul Jones and Pete Woodland will take charge of team affairs for tomorrow’s fixture at Halesowen.

In a statement, the club paid tribute to Sullivan’s service to Banbury.

It said: “While accepting his decision, Banbury United would like to put on record their appreciation of Kieran’s contribution to the football club.

“His service to the organisation as a player, club captain and latterly as first team manager has been truly outstanding.

“The club will advise details of the longer term management structure in due course.”

Sullivan was unavailable for comment Whoever the new manager will be, he will have his work cut out to restore some confidence in a team that capitulate too easily when under pressure against a talented Chippenham outfit.

Although the visitors were on top from the start, they were restricted to just one goal in the first half.

There was a hint of luck about that when Banbury’s Luke Bennett put through his own goal in a desperate attempt to clear the ball off his goal-line, from a Shaun Lamb shot in the 20th minute.

Six minutes into the second-half, the Bluebirds doubled their lead when a cross from the right was deflected to the lef, where Kevin Halliday’s centre was expertly flicked home by David Pratt.

Then three minutes later, James Martin was allowed too much time, and he took full advantage to put Chippenham 3-0 up.

In the 70th minute, Bennett was harshly adjudged to have handled the ball after it had deflected up on to his arm, and Pratt put the ball away from the penalty spot to put 4-0 up.

In the 82nd minute, substitute Iain Sercombe made Banbury’s misery complete when he hammered the ball home to complete the scoring.

Banbury Utd: Murrell, Redknap, Kelly, Essex (Stringfellow 28), Bennett, Haisley, Travers, Bridges, Forinton, Gordon, Gardner (Stanbridge 60). Subs not used: Sambrook, Peppiatt, Reeves.

Attendance: 284.