Zamaretto Southern League

Stourbridge 2, Banbury Utd 1

A GOAL four minutes into stoppage time sent Banbury tumbling to an agonising defeat in the Premier Division on Saturday.

Billy Jeffrey’s men had to play the last 20 minutes with ten men after young keeper Joe Murrell was sent off, but looked to have done enough to earn a draw before Leon Broadhurst’s late strike.

The home side took the lead when Aaron Drake took a corner from the right, which found Nathan Bennett, who headed home unopposed.

The visitors hit back and were level before half time when Declan Benjamin received Nabil Shariff’s cross to score at the second attempt.

Banbury missed a golden chance to take the lead just after the hour when Joe Coleman, Shariff and Benjamin got in each others way in the six-yard box when just a toe-poke from one of them would have resulted in a goal.

The turning point came when the pacy Sean Evans was adjudged to have been upended in the penalty area by Murrell, who was subsequently shown a red card.

Benjamin took over the keepers’ jersey, but Ryan Rowe blasted the spot-kick over the bar.

But with four minutes of stoppage time on the clock, Broadhurst broke Banbury’s resolve to score the winner from close range.

Banbury Utd: Murrell, Haisley, Martin, Milner, Learoyd, Redknap, Coleman, Benjamin, Shariff, Hilliard (Stone 87), McDonald. Subs not used: Ashton, Cray, Taylor, Stanbridge.

Attendance: 226.