Yate Tn 0, Banbury Utd 3: Banbury United made the best start to the season for seven years with an easy victory at Yate Town in Saturday's Southern League Premier Division clash.

All three goals came in the first half as Banbury gave their best opening day performance since beating Hellenic League rivals Harrow Hill 4-0 in 1998.

The teams looked even as they both sought to break the stalemate, but the turning point came in the 29th minute when United took a deserved lead.

A poor clearance from the home defence was seized on by Matty Gooderick, who crossed the ball from the left to Ollie Stanbridge.

His first effort was blocked by Yate keeper Court, but he followed up to strike the ball home from six yards.

Four minutes later, Banbury doubled their lead

For the first time in the game, Jon Gardner took the ball up the left, and sent over a pinpoint cross which Yate captain Lee Jefferies glanced past his own 'keeper to put the visitors 2-0 up.

They made it 3-0 in the 37th minute when they won a corner on the left. Gardner sent in the flag-kick and Andy Baird rose to back-head the ball into the net.

Banbury looked even better in the second-half as they ran Yate ragged, and they had umpteen chances to add to their score.

But a mixture of bad luck and desperate defending kept the score down to a moderate level.

Probably the best of these chances fell to George Redknap, who shot just wide, after some hesitancy in the Yate defence.

The impressive Darren Pond missed a sitter before the end, but this was an impressive display from Banbury, for whom Paul Lamb was dominant in midfield.

It looks like their goals will be coming from several sources, with their movement in front of goal much better than last season.

Banbury: Tricker, Blossom, Robinson (Jackson 38), Sullivan, Pond, Fuller, Stanbridge, Lamb, Gooderick (Redknap, 46), Baird, Gardner (Potter 85). Subs. (not used) King, Kinch.

Attendance: 210.