Banbury United make the short trip to Eynsham Park on Tuesday night to face Step Four side North Leigh FC in the Third Round of the Oxfordshire Senior Cup.

Tomorrow’s game is expected to see a mix of first team and U18 Development players involved for the Puritans.

This is a remake of the 2015 Oxfordshire Senior Cup final held at the Kassam Stadium, as Banbury came out victorious on the night in aid of a penalty shootout after the match finished 4-4.

The Puritans have entered the Third Round due to our league status whereas our hosts have already seen victory in this year’s competition, as they narrowly beat neighbours Easington Sports in Round Two.

Last year’s involvement saw United bow out of this stage of the competition against Easington Sports, as the club sacrificed future involvement after a 3-3 draw in normal time proved too much for an already stretched and depleted squad, which saw goalkeeper Jack Harding feature upfront and be on the scoresheet thus meaning we could not fulfil extra time. North Leigh reached the semi-final last season before being knocked out by the eventual winners of the competition Thame United in a 2-1 defeat.

North Leigh have experienced a strong start to the first half of the season as they sit top of the Southern Central Division One in conjunction with boasting a clinical edge in front of goal, as the Millers are also the league top goal scorers. However, their form has been indifferent over the past five games with two defeats, one draw and two wins as they prepare for the visit of Step Two opposition. Alongside this, Banbury’s form has seen the club winless in their last five games as the Puritans seek to put an end to their winless run to progress in the county’s competition.

The two clubs have had a history of players playing for both clubs such as promotion winning captain Andy Gunn, winger Amer Awadh, George Nash among others. Others include Banbury’s Craig Hewitt, who dual-registered with the Millers last year to help try and secure their Step Three status whereas Michael Hopkins who is now a player coach for the Eynsham Park side also featured for Banbury helping the club to bounce back to step three on the first time of asking in the 15/16 season.

This fixture proves to be an entertaining one as Banbury bid to claim their seventh Oxfordshire Senior Cup whereas North Leigh look to win their fourth.

Ticket Information

Tickets will be available on the gate at Eynsham Park, with adults £10, concessions £5 and under 16’s £2.