A goal from Zac McEachran two minutes from time earns United another three points to follow up their success on the road at Basingstoke on Saturday

This was a game that Slough started much the better of the two sides. In the sixth minute the United defence looked less than secure as the ball bobbled around with Gavin James getting to the ball ahead of goalkeeper Jack Harding wide on the edge of the six yard box but his cross into the centre was hacked away off the line by Jack Westbrook. Two minutes later a cross from the right by-line by James saw James Dobson head the ball just wide at the far post.

The visitors had an absolutely glorious chance to take the lead in the 13th minute when a long ball down the centre from Dobson saw Westbrook mis-judge the bounce which put Charlie Moone through on goal but with just Jack Harding in the Banbury goal to beat his attempted chip from just 12 yards, as the custodian came out, didn’t have sufficient height and it was comfortably saved.

In the 18th minute James should have done better when he controlled a low cross in from the right by Warren Harris but though he turned sharply he then failed to connect properly with his shot and the ball barely trickled through to Harding. Two minutes later Slough’s Simon Dunn fired over the bar from 22 yards.

Not until the 27th minute did Banbury cause the Slough defence any concern. A free kick from midway inside the Slough half was put into the visitor’s penalty area by Duran Martin where the ball bounced around but it was eventually punched away by former Puritan goalkeeper Mark Scott.

Slough continued to dominate the game though and it was not until the last quarter of an hour of the half that Banbury came anywhere near to really getting into the game though not enough to cause any problems to Scott.

Slough went close twice in the last couple of minutes of the half. James should have done better from just eight yards out but he poked the ball over the bar and the same player then shot just wide of the far post from a narrow angle down the left hand side of the Banbury penalty area.

Overall United were very fortunate to get to half time on level terms but they did improve as the second half developed. Slough always looked the more likely to score but at least it was not all one-way traffic as it had been for most of the first half and to their credit Banbury defended much better in the second half, so chances for the visitors were reduced. In the 57th minute an in-swinging corner from the right taken by Dobson with no one touching it had to be kicked off the line by McEachran and in the 70th minute a lofted cross in from the left hand edge of the Banbury penalty area by Dunn was headed just wide by Brad Hewitt at the far post. In the 76th minute a 25 yard shot from Dunn was well saved by Harding diving at full stretch.

However, Banbury would get their reward for their resoluteness two minutes from time when David Lynn put substitute Leam Howards away down the left, the United striker collecting the ball down by the by-line and then laying it back into the path of Zac McEachran who struck the ball low into the bottom corner of the net from a narrow angle ten yards out on the left, beating Scott at his near post. Less than sixty seconds later, a low cross from the right led to a scramble on the edge of the Banbury six yard box but Harding was on hand to dive at the feet of Hewitt and collect the ball and thus ensure United earned the three points.

Banbury United: Jack Harding, Callum White, David Lynn, George Nash, Jack Westbrook (Leam Howards 84), Andy Gunn, Zac McEachran, Duran Martin, Ricky Johnson, Felipe Barcelos (Mark Janes 71), Darius Browne (Mark Bell 52). Subs (not used): Michael Hopkins, Jacob Blackstock.

Slough Town: Mark Scott, Sean Fraser, Paul Stonehouse, Guy Hollis, Brad Hewitt, Nathan Webb, James Dobson (Charlie Losasso 70), Simon Dunn, Gavin James, Charlie Moone (Lee Barney 62), Warren Harris. Subs (not used): Josh Jackman, Lee Togwell, Adrian Sear.

Attendance: 423