Report: Warrington Town 2-1 Banbury United

A wonderful header from skipper Josh Amis earned Warrington Town a third successive home victory as they beat Banbury United 2-1.

They were made to come from behind in their final home game of 2023, Jay Harris measuring a shot in to the top corner to cancel out Craig Hewitt’s opener.

Amis won it eight minutes from time, guiding a header home from a superb deep cross by Mitch Duggan to take the Yellows to 33 points at the midway point of the National League North season.

The reverse fixture was arguably the scene of the Yellows’ worst performance since their promotion, while Banbury came to Cantilever Park with the best away record in the division.

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There wasn’t much to choose between the two sides in the opening exchanges, but it was the lively veteran Tope Obadeyi who helped break the deadlock for the visitors.

He latched on to a lovely slide rule pass in behind the full-back by Ken Charles, shot first time to be denied by Dan Atherton, who could do nothing as Craig Hewitt expertly steered the rebound in to the empty net with a controlled volley from the edge of the box.

The Yellows best chances were coming from out wide, a teasing ball in by Sean Williams was headed in to the side netting by a flying Dec Walker, and then Amis had a header pushed wide by Jack Harding from a Duggan cross.

The equaliser came on 37 minutes after good hold up play by Amis, Harris’ initial shot was blocked and as the loose ball sat up on the edge of the box he guided a left-foot shot in to the top corner.

They finished the first half strongly, Amis heading just wide and then Andre Wisdom was denied by a flying block by Tai Fleming in the goalmouth.

There was only really one team in the running for a winner in the second half, and the chances came at regular intervals for the Yellows.

Williams had a shot pushed away by Harding and then Harris had a shot that was deflected towards the back post that Dec Walker just couldn’t steer inside of the post.

Isaac Buckley-Ricketts warmed the hands of Harding before missing the best chance of the lot, miscuing a shot from five yards out after Amis and Tom Hannigan had played back Williams’ corner.

Harris’ deflected cross came back off a post before Banbury had a spell where they stopped the tide of chances and it maybe looked like the Yellows would be frustrated.

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But eventually the pressure told, Amis doing really well to guide a header home from an excellent Duggan ball in for his fifth goal of the season.

The Yellows now head in to back-to-back games against Chester on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, just two points off the play-off places.

Warrington Town: Atherton, Duggan, Wisdom, Hannigan, White; Walker (Grivosti), Harris, Williams; Popoola (Clarke), Amis, Buckley-Ricketts (McDonald). Unused subs: Goudie, Sinnott.

Banbury United: Harding, Kelly-Evans, Waller, Fleming, Davies; Maye (Hall (Elliott-Wheeler)), Giles, Maja; Hewitt (Yussuf), Charles, Obadeyi. Unused subs: Scott, Othman.

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