Record-breaking Banbury United hosting Bath City in FA Cup

Banbury’s Chris Wreh scores the only goal of the game, slipping the ball past Nuneaton Borough goalkeeper Tony Breeden ( Picture by Julie Hawkins )

Banbury United have set a new all-time record stretching their unbeaten start to the season to 14 games in all competitions.

It overtakes their previous best 60 years ago, when Banbury Spencer’s run lasted 13 matches in 1961.

On Tuesday evening they won 3-1 at Bromsgrove Sporting, which followed another Southern League Premier Central success 1-0 at home to a spirited Nuneaton Borough on Saturday.

And now it’s Emirates FA Cup time again when the Puritans entertain Vanarama National League South side Bath City in the fourth qualifying round of this weekend, as they bid to make it through to the first round proper for the second season in a row.

Against bottom of the table Nuneaton, who were down to ten men for well over an hour, after two yellow cards for their captain Carl Baker, it took until the 78th minute for Chris Wreh to score the only goal of the game.

Wreh scored again at Bromsgrove, just before half time after Jack Evans had given Banbury a first-minute lead and the hosts had equalised soon after. Ben Acquaye made sure of the points with 20 minutes to go.

“Beating Bromsgrove was probably our best three points of the season,” said manager Andy Whing, really pleased with his side’s incredible start to the season.

“We were missing a couple of players and they’re a really tough team, away from home on a miserable wet and windy night. It’s really promising as I still don’t think we are anywhere near how we can play.

“We will be the underdogs for the FA Cup game on Saturday, but it’s a home tie and it will be great to have as many supporters as we can, with no Covid restrictions this year and it should be a fantastic atmosphere.

“Bath City had a poor game on Saturday, so we can expect a reaction from that.

“The run we are having we don’t fear anyone and we expect to win every game – but they will be saying the same.”

Banbury have been drawn away to Northern Premier League Midlands Division side Corby Town in Third Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy on Saturday, October 30.