Puritans put Town to the sword

FOOTBALL

BetVictor Southern Premier Central

Banbury United 5 (Roberts 26 67, Shamsi 60, Mills 62, Rasulo 90+1)

Stratford Town 0

Report by Rod Abrahams

STRATFORD Town's dismal run continued at the Plant Hire Stadium on Boxing Day, as they suffered their 14th league defeat of the season at the hands of high-flying Banbury United.

The only change to the starting line-up for the Blues was Kyle Ambris replacing the unavailable Kai Woollard-Innocent.

Ross Oulton was on the bench along with debutant loanee Shiloh Remy while former Town player Ravi Shamsi was in the Banbury starting XI.

The first 25 minutes were fairly uneventful, as the Town defence limited the Puritans to a couple of long range shots.

Tom Mehew fired a strike over the bar for Town and when Chris Wreh appeared to be brought down by keeper Jack Harding, no penalty was given.

However, it all changed in the 26th minute.

Town gave the ball away midway in their own half and Pablo Haysham played in Morgan Roberts on the left flank, who cut in and drilled a strike into the net from 22 yards out to beat keeper Sam Lomax at his near post.

Town did have a chance to get back on level terms just before the break when Kyle Rowley put in a cross which Matt Bower headed goalwards, but was denied by a goal-line clearance and Mehew's follow-up shot was saved by Harding.

At the start of the second half the status quo remained, but it was all change again on the hour mark as the Puritans scored three times in seven minutes.

Shamsi dispossessed Bower on the edge of the box and lobbed Lomax to make it 2-0 and then John Mills, who had only just come off the bench, was allowed to weave his way into the area and his strike was deflected in to make it 3-0.

Morgan Roberts then powered in a header for his second goal on 67 minutes to make it 4-0.

It was now a despondent Town who offered little in reply.

With only one striker up front, all Wreh was doing was chasing long balls.

With a minute left Mills should have made it 5-0, but with the goal gaping he hit the post from eight yards out.

However, Banbury bagged their fifth in stoppage time when Giorgio Rasulo converted a free-kick from the edge of the box.

All Town could offer in reply was a Wreh shot that went wide and an effort from Remy that Harding saved with his legs.

BANBURY: Jack Harding, Connor Roberts, Eddie Odhiambo, Jack Westbrook, Charles Hawtin, Giorgio Rasulo, Pablo Haysham, Lee Henderson (Amer Awadh 75), Ravi Shamsi, Morgan Roberts (Mohammed Ahmed 86), Craig Fasanmade (John Mills 59). Unused subs: Ryan MacDonald, Charlie Bennett.

TOWN: Sam Lomax, Dan Vann, Kyle Ambris (Jordan Clement 71), Courtney Richards, Matt Bower, Kyle Rowley, Foday Nabay (Matthew Campbell-hlope 71), Chris Wreh, Tom Mehew, Will Davidson (Shiloh Remy 46). Unused subs: Jack Bennett, Ross Oulton.

ATTENDANCE: 411