IT was an afternoon of frustration for Banbury, even though they cruised to a 2-0 victory against a very poor Cirencester in a one-sided Premier Division match on Saturday.

Banbury would not have been embarrassed if their score had reached double figures in almost perfect conditions for an end-of-season goal fest.

The visitors' precision in front of goal was typified in the 11th minute, when Howard Forinton, facing an open goal, chipped the ball two yards wide of the target.

Five minutes later, Darren Pond was guilty of a miss when he lobbed home keeper Alex Hards from an angle, but the ball was cleared.

Shortly afterwards, Forinton again missed an easy chance when he headed wide from just two yards out, following a cross from the right.

In the 26th minute, from Jon Gardner's corner, Chris Jackson was inches from converting at the far post, in front of an unguarded goal.

Banbury's frustrations continued when a free-kick wide on the right was played by Pond to the far post, where Jackson crossed to Andy Baird.B but his point-blank header was palmed away by Hards.

After a goalless first half, within 20 seconds of the re-start, Ollie Stanbridge was taken out by Hards, but no penalty was given.

Then in the 47th minute, from a corner, Jackson was unlucky to see his header cleared off the line.

Banbury at last broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when Gardner's cross from the left was mis-kicked by defender Lee Smith, and Baird ran through to slot the ball home from a narrow angle to spare his side's blushes.

Banbury had a goal disallowed when Stanbridge ran the ball into the net, as the referee adjudged that Baird had fouled Hards during the build-up.

The decision that was so strongly contested that Baird earned himself a yellow card.

In the 64th minute, a rare Cirencester attack resulted in Lee Molyneaux's effort was touched onto the bar by Alan Judge In the 68th minute, Banbury made the points safe when Stuart Bridges played the ball to George Redknap, who capped a good performance by hitting an unstoppable 20-yard shot from into the roof of the net.

Banbury were unlucky when Matty Gooderick's angled effort came back off the crossbar.

Banbury:

Judge, Bridges, Kinch, Sullivan, Blossom, Pond, Stanbridge (Nicholls 90), Redknap, Forinton (McKay 82), Baird, Gardner (Gooderick 76).

Attendance:

169.