Next fence needs to be cleared in play-off bid

Banbury United have made up ground in the Evo-Stik Southern League play-off race ahead of Saturday’s derby at Stratford Town.

Following five wins on the spin, the Puritans are now level on points with Merthyr Town who occupy the final premier division play-off spot.

Ford said: “We’re on the tails of the teams in front of us and making up good ground on them but one mistake at the next fence will be costly. We’ve got to make sure we clear the next hurdle.

“If we can get to that final game against Kettering needing a result to get into the play-offs or one to stay in them, we’ll all settle for that.

“We’re in a great position but we can soon fall flat on our faces if we think we’ve done enough on this run.

“We’re on an okay run but it’s not a fantastic one, Chippenham have gone 20 games unbeaten and that’s why they’re top. Leamington have also been on a great run.

“We’re a big scalp for any team now so Stratford’s players and supporters will be motivated for Saturday’s game but so will my players. I’ve got a group of players who are playing with a lot of confidence.

“Merthyr have been in the top five all season and now they will get a bit jittery but we’ve got to keep winning games.

“Merthyr’s run-in is much easier than ours, they are playing all the teams in the bottom half. But easy games at this stage are anything but that, because they come with added pressure.”