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FOOTBALL: City shot down as Gunn goes off
11:05pm Sunday 17th August 2008
Oxford City's Andy Gunn was sent off in the incident that settled their opening Premier Division game of the season in the British Gas Business Southern League on Saturday.
Not that there could be any complaints. The defender - who had looked the best player on the pitch until that point - shoved over Banbury striker Nicky Gordon as he bore down on goal.
Gordon stepped up and calmly slotted home the resultant penalty, which proved to be Banbury's winning goal.
The contest had been fairly even until that point, but City were probably edging it on chances.
But they struggled to make them count as several shots went tamely into Joe Murrell's arms in the Banbury goal. And then Gunn headed just over the bar on 22 minutes.
City's best chance came from a goalmouth scramble. Craig Faulconbridge fired straight at the keeper and then Darren Pond fired high and wild from seven yards out - much to the amusement of the fans of his old club.
It was a knock-down from the resulting goalkick that saw Gunn commit the foul that saw him sent off.
The visitors were always going to have a mountain to climb in the second half with ten men on a blustery afternoon.
Manager Justin Merritt brought on Mark Avery to plug the gap in defence, but sacrificed Faulconbridge, who had shown good touches in the first half without providing a real goal threat.
City's intention to play more passing football was not helped as the rain began to fall after 70 minutes, but Banbury seemed unlikely to extend their lead.
Just as the umbrellas went up, Banbury's James Peppiatt fired in a well struck free kick from the edge of the area. It took a minor deflection on the way through and brought a superb save from Steve Smith.
City used Yahswa Romeo's extra pace after he was brought on for Ben Weedon.
The pacy forward went through on goal almost immediately and his shot went wide after a good block from Murrell.
Mike Ford, Oxford's assistant manager said: "We can't have any complaints about the penalty or the sending-off, but we could have had the game in our pocket by then."
Banbury Utd: Murrell, Abassi, Peppiatt, Essex, Bennett, Pearman (Steve Howkins 79), Travers (Troy Bryan 88), Breward, Bridges, Gordon, Stanbridge.
Oxford City: Smith, Saulsbury, Weedon, (Romeo 75), Gunn, Allaway, Gardner, Malone, Pond, Baird, Faulconbridge (Avery HT), Lyon (Bell 60). Subs not used: Davis, Redknap.
Attendance: 430.
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