Banbury 2 Darlington 1

Goals: Maja (9 mins, 1-0), Waller (30 mins 2-0) Curry (71 mins, 2-1)

Quakers failed to record back-to-back wins as they went down to defeat at the Banbury Community Stadium.

Quakers conceded two first half goals, and they could only pull one back in an improved second half which they dominated but didn't create enough clear cut chances.

Quakers had a half chance in the second minute. A ball into the box caused concern for Banbury, and the ball dropped for Cedric Main, who couldn’t quite connect, and then when the ball came back into the box from Jonny Ngandu, Main’s header was held by the keeper.

Banbury took the lead on 9 minutes. They broke up the left through Craig Hewitt, who played the ball inside for Manny Maja to step inside two defenders and beat Tommy Taylor with a left foot shot that went in off the inside of the right hand post.

Quakers responded with some good skill on the left from Jonny Ngandu, who put a in a dangerous cross that was cleared on the six yard line.

Banbury replied with a first time shot from 25 yards by Hewitt that hit the side netting.

Quakers got the ball up the left into the penalty area for Ben Liddle to fire across the face, but again a defender intercepted on the six yard line.

And then Main popped up on the right and put in a teasing cross to the far post that Ngandu couldn’t quite reach.

But Quakrs were stunned when it became 2-0 on 30 minutes. Banbury won a corner on the left, and it was driven across the six yard box by Aidan Elliott-Wheeler for Charlie Waller to volley home, although there were suggestions that the ball came off a Darlington defender.

After that, the game was fairly even until half time, with neither side creating a clear chance

Half Time:

Banbury 2 Darlington 0

Quakers made a sub at half time, Matty Cornish coming on for Cameron Salkeld.

Ngandu showed some great skill on the left and crossed for Will Hatfield in the middle, and he couldn’t get any direction on his header. The ball then fell to Hatfield in the box, but his effort went wide.

Banbury got a free kick for a foul about 35 yards out, but Jake Lawlor got the ball away

Quakers made a second sub on 59 minutes, Andrew Nelson coming on for Ngandu.

On the restart, Hedley crossed from the left for Tom Platt to put in a header that Jack Harding easily saved.

Banbury's Joe Wilson tried his luck with a right foot shot after Quakers lost the ball on the edge of their own box, but his effort went well over the top.

Main finally managed to find some space when he received the ball about 25 yards out, and he got past two challenges into the area before a third defender got a tackle in.

And then on 70 minutes, Mitch Curry came on for Liddle.
Quakers got a goal back on 71 minutes, when Main picked the ball up and threaded it through for Curry, who took the ball around the keeper and squeezed it in at the near post, his third goal for the club.

Kallum Griffiths then did well to get around the back of the defence from a Cornish pass, but his pull back was intercepted.

The goal gave Quakers some momentum, and Hatfield had a shot charged down, and Harding held on to a dangerous cross from the left by Nelson.

Quakers got a free kick for a foul on Griffiths on the right, but Hedley’s ball in was headed over the bar by Cornish.

Banbury nearly got a third right at the end when Quakers committed everyone forward, but Elliott-Wheeler fired over the top from 20 yards

Final score Banbury 2 Darlington 1

Team: Taylor, Griffiths, Lees, Lawlor, Hedley, Platt, Liddle (sub Curry 70), Hatfield, Ngandu (sub Nelson 59), Salkeld (sub Cornish 46), Main.

Subs: Moke, Siddik

Booking: Hedley 22 mins, Lees 29 mins, Taylor 90 mins

Banbury

Harding, Davies, Maye, Waller, Fleming, Elliott-Wheeler, D'Ath, Charles, Hewitt, Wilson, Maja

Subs: Yussuf, Giles, Othman, Fitzhugh, Wyman