Team Bath 2 Banbury United 2

POOR conditions got the better of both teams, but despite a rock-hard, uneven pitch and a swirling wind, both sides showed plenty of effort and tried to push forward at every opportunity.

Banbury got off to a dream start when they took the lead in the 2nd minute.

Alan Foster sent a long ball from defence to Neil Lazarus, who played it on to Andy Baird on the left. He raced clear and centred to the unmarked Ollie Stanbridge, who volleyed home from ten yards.

United made it 2-0 in the 11th minute when a misplaced header by Peter Tisdale was seized on by Baird on the edge of the penalty area, and he chipped the ball over Bath's stranded goalie Darren Chitty.

After the early set-backs, Team Bath started to control the midfield, and the turning point came in the 37th minute. The home side were awarded a free-kick on the right. Marc Canham sent the place-kick to the near post where Sean Canham struck the ball home into the far corner, giving Foster no chance.

After the break, in very tiring conditions, Banbury worked hard to increase their advantage, but it was the home side who got the all-important goal in the 74th minute.

It came from another free-kick in the danger area. This time it was Danny Moye who took the kick, and substitute Jake Reid nipped in at the near post to head across the face of goal and into the far corner for the equaliser.

Both sides deserved praise for a clean game with scarcely a bad foul throughout, and a draw was a fair result.