Boss is keen for players to return
Kelvin Langmead admitted his frustration at not yet being able to field his strongest side after a 4-0 defeat at home to Solihull Moors on Saturday.
The Puritans continued to have several trialists involved as injuries and unavailability remained a problem to the new Banbury boss.
And he told Puritans Radio it’s not how he’d choose it to be at this stage of the summer.
He said: “With injuries, unavailability and the need to be cautious with one or two it was a case of having to protect the lads that were in the building a little.
"Even with our strongest XI we know we’re up against a very good side but I felt it was the best way to go about it.
"It’s not ideal or what I’d want to do at this stage of pre-season but felt like the right thing to do.
"But we still learned things from the game, good, bad and somewhere in between.”
Banbury hosted Chadlington in a memorial match for former player and board member Paul Duester, played after this week’s Guardian went to press.
They will then host Gloucester City in their final friendly of the summer on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Harley Giles has returned to the Puritans ahead of the new SPL Premier Central season.
Giles, 24, first joined the Puritans in late 2023, following an impressive spell with Didcot Town where he made over 100 appearances and helped them earn promotion to step three.
Manager Kelvin Langmead said: “Harley’s a player we are very pleased to get over the line. He’s calm in possession, reads the game well, and brings great balance and energy to midfield.
"He’s the type of player who offers real control and discipline, executes the basics very well, and he’ll be a valuable part of the group both on and off the pitch.”
Also signing first-team terms is 16-year-old Max Fuller, who has progressed through the Puritans’ youth setup having moved to the UK aged ten from Tanzania.