​Banbury HC secure first win of season

Connor Roberts in possession for Banbury on Saturday.Connor Roberts in possession for Banbury on Saturday.
Connor Roberts in possession for Banbury on Saturday.
​Banbury HC secured their first win of the season on Saturday as they saw off hosts Chelmsford 1-0.

​The visitors dominated the game to deserve the win, but remain ninth in the Midlands Conference League, now level on points with two other teams including this week's opponents Harleston Magpies.

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Banbury got away to an electrifying start with Jamie Boardman going close and then winning a free hit to find Banbury player/coach Ben Mackey who won a penalty corner all in the first two minutes.

Next it was Tim Williams-Ellis rampaging forward to win another penalty corner which drew great double saves from home keeper Michael Vasekin, without whom Banbury might have clocked up a cricket score.

With Banbury dominating in midfield and allowing their defenders to join the attack, Mackey found Josh Nunneley whose barnstorming move forward was only stopped by a cynical trip leading to the award of yet another penalty corner that Vasekin scraped away.

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The second quarter continued in just the same way with the home side barely able to get into the Banbury half of the pitch and despite two more penalty corners the visitors could not put the final touch to their dominance and went into half time with the scores level.

As the second half began it looked as if over confidence could trip up the Banbury side when successive storming attacks were repulsed and Chelmsford quickly counter attacked to win penalty corners of their own but Will Powell continued his good form in the visitors’ goal.

The goal finally came after another left sided attack through Connor Roberts and James Long reached the corner flag then into the opposition area and a scrambled cross was pushed home at close range by Joe Bostock.

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Chelmsford won two more penalty corners and it required a goal line save from Tyson Nunneley to keep the visitors ahead and claim the points.

Banbury manager Steve Brooker said: "We made that look a lot harder than it should have been. We could have killed off the game in the first half, if not the first 15 minutes, but getting the points and seeing the team play at almost its full potential is a very encouraging sign for the rest of the season.

"If we play as we did today and add in more ruthlessness in front of goal we should climb back up the table, we just need to maintain this level of performance.”

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