Zamaretto Southern League

Truro City 1, Banbury Utd 0

A GOAL 20 minutes from time condemned Banbury to defeat on their long trip to Cornwall in the Premier Division.

Billy Jeffrey’s men gave as good as they got in an entertaining contest, only for a Dan Smith strike to leave Banbury facing the long journey home without a point.

Banbury were unlucky when they had the ball in the net in the fifth minute, only to see Jason Taylor’s tap-in ruled out for offside.

It was a dubious decision, after the ball had originally come back off a post from a Declan Benjamin effort.

Two minutes later, Nabil Shariff crossed from the right to Benjamin, but his header went wide when it looked easier to score.

For the home side, Andy Watkins should have done better with a header when Stewart Yetton crossed, but it was definitely Banbury who were in the ascendancy.

After the break, the home side started to apply the pressure, and when star signing Barry Hayles, the former Fulham, Bristol Rovers, Plymouth and Millwall striker came on, the crowd sensed that something would happen.

But Banbury’s defence effectively dealth with the threat of Hayles, and it was the introduction of Smith that broke the deadlock.

With his first touch of the ball, Smith struck a low drive from the edge of the box that just eluded Joe Murrell’s dive and went in off the inside of the far post.

Banbury Utd: Murrell, Stanbridge, Cray, Gordon, Learoyd, Oulton, Staff, Benjamin, Shariff, Taylor (Cross 70), Martin. Subs not used: Foster, Peppiatt, Mbanarah.

Attendance: 397.