United take four points from opening two games

A 1-1 draw at home to AFC Sudbury on Saturday was followed by a 1-0 success at Leicestershire side Barwell on Monday night, both of United’s goals so far having come from the penalty spot courtesy of striker AJ George.

Saturday’s opener saw Sudbury start the brighter of the two sides, with multiple corners and dangerous free kicks in quick succession, but they failed to trouble United keeper Jack Harding with the organised Banbury defence standing strong.

The home side came into the game more with about 15 minutes of the half to go, forcing some comfortable saves from Sudbury’s keeper, before Ben Bradley was then adjudged to have pushed George with five minutes to go before the break and George took the penalty himself, firing high into the corner of the net to earn a half-time lead.

Sudbury put plenty of pressure on early in the second-half and got their goal when Ollie Peters played a flicked pass into Joe Neal who slotted past Harding with ease.

Harding had to deny Neal from distance soon afterwards, before Myles Cowling had a goal disallowed for the visitors, while at the other end Banbury themselves had promising moments but were denied by a hard-working Sudbury defence as the points were ultimately shared.

Monday night’s game saw Banbury make just one change to their line-up, Barwell seeing a goal disallowed just two minutes in to give the Puritans an early let off.

George fired too high and then George Ball came so close to an opener when his low shot struck the post.

The winning goal came on 54 minutes, when Tai Fleming went up for a header and was fouled by Barwell’s goalkeeper, George stepping up once more to score high into the net and put Banbury in front.

Chances remained few and far between, Connor Ferguson’s late free-kick well held by Barwell’s goalkeeper, and despite Barwell putting plenty of late pressure on, Banbury held on to take a first win of the season.