Southern League Division One S&W

Banbury United 2 Taunton Town 0

A SUBSTANDARD first half performance proved fatal for Town who ended the 2015-16 Evo-Stik League season with defeat at the Spencer Stadium, writes Andy power.   

The win for Banbury clinched runners-up spot ahead of the Peacocks who remained rooted in third place, as they had done for the past month, which is creditably their highest ever Southern League finish.

Pre-match preparations had been disrupted by an enforced stop at Sedgemoor Services on the M5 awaiting a replacement coach, meaning Town had a curtailed warm-up and the rigours of the journey  certainly showed in the opening half as they looked anything but promotion challengers.

With Jamie Price suspended and Lewis Powell rested with a knock ahead of the impending play-off semi-final, Josh Searle and Jordan Rogers were restored to the starting line-up but it was the Puritans who went on to take the first half honours without too much exertion.

Lloyd Irish was called into early action, Mark Bell’s cross eventually reaching Zac McEachran whose shot was saved low down. 

Michael Hopkins’ strike sailed comfortably over before the hosts went route one to grab the lead on the quarter hour.

Jack Harding safely harvested Ben Carter’s free kick and launched the ball downfield where Felipe Barcelos outmuscled Jamie Short and slanted his finish across Irish into the far corner.

A Barcelos header deflected off a defender for a Bell corner from which Ricky Johnson nodded back into the box for Jack Westbrook to hit the ball into the turf and up over the bar whilst Barcelos turned inside but saw his drive kept out by Searle on the line as Banbury sensed further reward.

Town meanwhile barely threatened, with Harding’s punch clear under pressure from Rogers and Craig Veal providing the only moment of concern for the hosts although an offside flag ultimately nullified the danger.

Another mishap culminated in Banbury doubling their lead six minutes before the break. A long ball from Hopkins saw Lloyd Irish come out to the edge of the area to clear but the Town keeper only succeeded in clattering his own team mate Rob Farkins.

Barcelos profited, cutting in from the left and when his shot hit Matt Villis on the line, the defence went to sleep as McEachran all too easily collected the loose ball and darted through to fire home past Irish.

With half time imminent, Town nearly reduced the arrears when Rogers stole in to head a Dale Evans’ free kick off the crossbar.

This near miss proved the shot in the arm the visitors needed as they awoke from their slumbers in the second half and finally gave the underworked Banbury defence something to think about but without really creating a clear opportunity.

Ollie Chamberlain ran out of pitch before he could direct his attempt goalwards and Rogers chested down a throw-in to turn and rifle over the bar. Veal then fired Short’s cross into the side netting whilst a break involving several players ended with Veal laying a pass off to Rogers but Town’s top scorer blasted his shot straight at Harding.

Banbury re-emerged as the game entered its final stages. Johnson’s sidefooted effort was cleared and sub Leam Howards’ shot was diverted over the top after he had linked up with fellow replacement Darius Browne.

The same combination came close again when Browne blazed into the side netting from Howards’ cross, but the contest for second place had long been settled as the Peacocks knew full well they cannot afford a repeat display in the play-off battle looming in three days’ time.