Banbury set for trip to Nantwich in the second qualifying round after narrow victory
Banbury United – 1
A Babos 52’
Ardley United – 0
4th September 2021
Banbury United progressed to the second qualifying round of the FA Cup on Saturday as they beat near neighbours Ardley United at the Spencer Stadium, but it took a goal of real quality to overcome their guests who put up a great fight against the side two levels higher than themselves. Visiting custodian Freddie Lapworth was in inspired form pulling off a handful of brilliant saves to ensure the hosts did not get too far out of sight, at the opposite end Puritans keeper Jack Harding playing his two hundred & fiftieth game for the club was also in commanding form inside his eighteen yard area to keep the blue frontline at bay.
The game was dogged by constant stoppages by the whistle which didn’t help the flow of the game, Chris Wreh & Henry Landers saw efforts go wide whilst Morgan Roberts & Landers forced Lapworth into good saves, at the other end Anaclet Odhiambo tried a delicate chip over Harding but was off target meaning a goalless first half.
The only goal arrived seven minutes after the interval from a short corner routine that saw Giorgio Rasulo & Morgan Roberts exchange passes before the former rolled the ball out to Alex Babos just outside the corner of the box, he had space and time to look up before curling brilliantly into the far top corner. Within seconds Landers forced Lapworth down to his left again to make another good save and late in the game Ethan Johnston thought he had wrapped things up when he got on the end of a cross, but his low drive came back off the post. F/T: 1-0
Attendance: 543
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