A late goal from Adeyinka Talabi earns Banbury passage into the next round of FA Trophy where they will play at home to Marine on Saturday week
This was a game that saw neither side able to create clear chances in the opening thirty minutes. Banbury started slightly the better of the two sides with Darius Browne attempting a lofted shot from the edge of the penalty area after just 25 seconds though it was no trouble to Kevin Sawyer in the Evesham goal as the ball went too high and wide. In the 7th minute a cross from the right by Jacob Walcott went through the legs of Browne on the six yard box and Aidan Hawtin shot well over the bar from 12 yards in the 18th minute.
It was Evesham though who would create the first clear opportunity on the half hour mark when a long throw from the left by Kevin Slack was only cleared as far as George Washbourne on the left hand edge of the six yard box but the chance was wasted as his shot went wide of the far post.
Six minutes later Evesham had another great chance to go ahead. Firstly a cross from the right saw an Ashley Edenborough header at the near post hit the upright but it was the rebound which should definitely have been put away as the ball came out to Washbourne at the six yard line for him to somehow prod the ball wide.
Banbury’s best chance of the half would come five minutes before the interval when Browne’s cross from the left was not cleared by the Evesham defence and the ball fell to Declan Hartigan who like Washbourne a few minutes earlier put the ball wide from six yards.
The first half had ended with a little more promise than the opening half hour and the beginning of the second began in similar vein with both sides creating chances.
Two minutes into this period and Evesham’s Marcus Jackson was put through down the right wing but though his excellent low cross found Edenborough coming in and with just Bedwell to beat, the striker missed the glorious chance by putting his shot wide from 12 yards.
Thirty seconds later it was United’s turn to fail to take a chance when a low cross from the left by Marvin Martin was put over the bar by Browne from the edge of the six yard box. A minute later Edenborough was put through on goal and though he lifted the ball over the Banbury custodian at the edge of the Evesham penalty area, Luke Cray covering got back to knock the ball away for a corner before the ball could be knocked home.
On 55 minutes Walcott forced Sawyer to palm a fierce shot from eight yards away for a corner and on the hour Declan Hartigan went on a surging run from midfield and created a shooting opportunity on the edge of the Evesham penalty area but his shot went just over and wide.
Chances for both sides dried up over the next twenty minutes but the game burst into life again in the last ten minutes. On 82 minutes Adeyinka Talabi shot just wide from the edge of the penalty area. Three minutes later Aidan Hawtin shot from just inside the Evesham penalty area on the left but he was denied by a great full length diving save from Sawyer.
Three minutes from time and Banbury would make the all important breakthrough when an in-swinging cross from the right by Luke Cray saw the incoming Talabi get to the ball ahead of defender Matt Sysum at the six yard line, the United striker’s header flying into the corner of the net.
Overall there was little between the sides. Evesham had the better chances in the first hour but having failed to take them it was Banbury who crucially managed to put the ball into the back of the net late on and it is they who will face Marine at the Spencer Stadium in the Second Qualifying Round on Saturday week.
Banbury United: Leigh Bedwell, Luke Cray, Nkosi Mzungwana, Declan Hartigan (Carl Tappin 90), Tom Fishwick, Callum White, Aidan Hawtin, Marvin Martin, Adeyinka Talabi (Leam Howards 90), Jacob Walcott, Darius Browne (Jordan Green 72). Sub (not used): David Lynn.
Evesham United: Kevin Sawyer, Jared Wilson, Lewis Binns (Aaron Drake 52), Sean Wood, Matt Sysum, Liam Harding, Marcus Jackson, Carl Brown, Ashley Edenborough, Kevin Slack (Harry Williams 82), George Washbourne (Elliott Kennedy 66). Subs (not used): Nick Stanley, Jack Watts.
Attendance: 123
Thanks to David Shadbolt of Banbury United for the report and video.
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