A MISSED penalty by Ady Fuller on his 400th appearance cost Banbury dear in Saturday's Premier Division clash.

Fuller saw his spot-kick saved by Bath keeper Paul Evans a minute before the break with the score still at 0-0.

And inexplicably, Andy Baird put the rebound wide of the unguarded net as Ban- bury missed two guilt-edge chances to go in front.

The first half was end to end stuff, with Bath just edging things.

In the tenth minute, veteran keeper Alan Judge - replacing Milan Barasic between the sticks - made a good stop to deny Scott Partridge, while at the other end, in the 19th minute, Baird headed wide following a Fuller free-kick.

After Fuller and Baird had missed their chances, Banbury did not let their heads drop and with just 90 seconds of the second-half under way, they took the lead.

Tommy Kinch sent a cross over from the left, and with Baird making a dummy run which took two defenders with him, Stuart Bridges side-footed the ball home past a stranded Evans.

In the 69th minute, Howard Forinton got the ball in the net again, only for the effort to be ruled out by the referee for a foul on a defender.

Bath were by now pouring forward at every opportunity, looking for the equaliser, and it arrived in the 83rd minute.

Judge made a good save at the foot of a post, but he parried the ball into the path of Partrdige who drove the ball home from a narrow angle to give Bath a share of the points.

Banbury: Judge, Blossom, Kinch, Sullivan, Fuller, Pond, Bridges, Redknap, Forinton, Baird, Gardner (Stanbridge 81). Subs not used: Szczukiewicz, Nicholls, Barasic, Attendance: 473