Tiverton Tn 2 (Bushin 7, 83)

Banbury Utd 1 (Shariff 20)

Banbury United’s excellent Premier Division form suffered ablow at rain-sodden Tiverton on Saturday.

It looked like they Banbury, who had lost only once in their previous 13 games would hold on for a deserved share of the spoils after fighting back from a goal down.

However, their hopes were dashed when Joe Bushin slammed in a late winner.

The visitors, who gave young striker Nabil Shariff his debut after signing on loan from Blue Square Premier side Rushden & Diamonds, started brightly with Ollie Stanbridge going close with a header from an excellent Joe Coleman cross.

However, Banbury were rocked minutes later when Matt Bye pushed a pass from the right into the path of Bushin who raced clear and cleverly slotted the ball across the face of the goal and into the far corner past a depairing Joe Murrell in the Banbury goal.

Three minutes later, Banbury went close to levelling, but Declan Benjamin’s superb 25-yard free-kick was tipped away for a corner by Steve Book.

At the other end, Murrell made a good block to thwart Bushin.

Banbury kept pushing forward and got their just reward when Shariff, with very little room, turned on the edge of the penalty area and fired home to crown an excellent debut.

Both sides put plenty of effort in, despite appalling conditions.

And in the 62nd minute Banbury were unlucky when Benjamin saw his shot get a wicked deflection and go just the wrong side of the post.

Banbury pushed forward, but shots from George Redknap, Shariff and Coleman (twice) were well off the mark, and despite the pressure, Book was not troubled unduly.

In the 83rd minute, with Banbury pushing up, Tiverton got the break when a long clearance from Book caught Banbury’s defence upfield.

And Bushin raced clear to calmly slot the ball home past the stranded Murrell to give Tiverton the points, and again leave Banbury disappointed that their efforts had been in vain.

Banbury Utd: Murrell, Stanbridge (Forinton 89), Martin, Milner, Learoyd, Haisley, Coleman, Benjamin (Stringfellow 81), Shariff, Redknap (Stone 74), Walker.

Attendance: 198