BANBURY United, battling hard to move clear of the Southern League Premier Division relegation zone, suffered the heartache of losing 1-0 to an injury-time goal at Bedford on Saturday.

The visitors had enough chances have won the match twice over, before conceding dubious free-kick in the fourth minute of time added on.

Bedford’s top scorer, Drew Roberts, needed no second chance when he whipped the 25-yarder round the wall and into the top corner to give Bedford a lucky three points.

The day started badly for Banbury when influential captain Liam Dolman turned his ankle over in the pre-match warm-up.

Although he started the game, he only lasted 15 minutes.

After a good early save by Banbury keeper Andy Kemp, it was his opposite number, Jordan Rigby, who was far busier.

The Bedford keeper made the first of a string of superb saves when he beat out Howard Forinton’s effort from ten yards out.

He then produced a fanastic finger-tip save from Dan Chilton’s powerful header.

Bedford’s over-physical appraoch was not punished by a lenient referee.

Banbury looked the more likely to break the deadlock in the opening phases of the second-half, when Rigby made superb saves from Ricky Johnson, Josh Cole and Forinton While Kemp’s handling was exemplary, he was very rarely called into action.

In the 75th minute, Forinton was thwarted by Rigby as he bore down on goal with just the keeper to beat.

After Roberts’s late winner, it was Rigby the Bedford team ran to at the final whistle, as Banbury could scarcely believe their luck.

The Puritans will be hoping for better fortune at home leaders Brackley Town today.

Banbury Utd: Kemp, Williams, Kinch, Dolman (Thackeray 18), Chilton, Coleman, Howell (Edmond 81), Cole, Johnson, Forinton (Blake 73), Polk. Subs not used: Richardson, Angus.

Attendance: 336.