BANBURY United manager Andy Whing has praised his players for rising to the challenge of a gruelling league season.

The Puritans return to action tonight in the Southern League Premier Central following their 4-0 defeat at home to Barrow in the Emirates FA Cup first round.

Unbeaten in the league, the game at home to fourth placed Rushall Olympic will prove a stern challenge.

However, Whing says his players are continuing to work hard with very little in the way of a rest.

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Whing said: “We’ll keep going, I can’t wait for Tuesday.

“It’s a tough league, Premier League teams talk about resting players but these guys work, they come out every Saturday and Tuesday after long days at work.

“They’re travelling away and getting home at one or 2am in the morning, going to work the next day and producing result after result.”

The visitors travel to the Spencer Stadium on a six-game winning run and are just a point and a place behind the Puritans.

Meanwhile, Wantage Town travel to Cirencester Town in the second round of the CSS League Challenge Cup.

The game was originally postponed due to Cirencester’s FA Trophy game at Truro City being called off due to the weather.

Wantage won 2-1 at Colney Heath last time out, while Cirencester lost 1-0 at Plymouth Parkway.