A first half Mikey Taylor goal and a solid defensive display helped to continue Bromsgrove Sporting's fine away form this season, as the Rouslers beat Banbury United 1-0 on Saturday afternoon.

The game's only goal came in the 39th minute, as Richard Gregory put the ball on a plate for Taylor, who battled past his defender before coolly slotting into the bottom corner.

Banbury started the game sharply, but lacked a killer instinct in front of goal - John Mills and Greg Kaziboni both had early chances which went wide of the mark.

Sporting gradually grew into the half after the weathering the early storm, with Greg Mills and Gregory having shots from distance fly wide, in a game where the ferocious wind was a massive factor.

Gift Mussa had a shot inside the box blocked, with Harry Higginson heading over soon after, while the 35th minute saw Craig Fasanmade have the best opportunity of the game to that point but was unable to put his one on one effort from 10 yards out beyond Sporting stopper Daniel Platt.

Sporting's goal would come four minutes later; Gregory did well to come out of a midfield tussle on top, which he followed by taking a few touches before playing in Taylor, who nonchalantly caressed the ball past Banbury keeper Jack Harding.

Sporting's prolific frontman could have had a second with two minutes of the half remaining, as he had a couple of efforts blocked in quick succession, with the first of which being booted clear off the line by Charlie Hawtin, after the ball had gotten past the keeper.

The early moments of the second half were dominated by free kicks. Gregory and Leon Broadhurst had ones from narrowly outside the penalty area blocked by the Banbury wall, while Giorgio Rasulo had a dead ball effort from distance well saved by Platt.

Midway through the half, the home side enjoyed a flurry of quick chances, as Kaziboni had two shots blocked, before substitute Ravi Shamsi also saw a shot kept out by a Sporting defender and Fasanmade had a drive palmed out for a corner by Platt.

Will Shorrock and substitute Shaquille McDonald both had shots saved by Harding inside the final 10 minutes, while additional time saw chances for both teams - Banbury's Ricky Johnson headed the ball straight at Platt and Mikey Taylor had a shot kept out by an oncoming Harding.

From the Banbury Utd Website:

Banbury United 0-1 Bromsgrove Sporting
By Admin 2

League leaders go home with a narrow victory

Banbury got off to their normal quick start and soon had their visitors on their heels as they attacked from both flanks, as they looked to get the early advantage. Within the first two minutes, Craig Fasanmade went close, and then in the 4th minute, a beautiful left-wing cross from on-loan Jake Walker was headed just over the bar at the near post by John Mills.

Banbury spurned a glorious chance to take the lead in the 12th minute when Amer Awadh worked his way up the left, and spun between two players before sending a cross into the penalty area, but Greg Kaziboni, in acres of space, and from 12 yards out, blasted the ball two yards wide, when it looked easier to score.

It was not all one-way traffic though and Sporting's Richard Grant went close in the 22nd minute, in a fairly rare Bromsgrove attacking move which tested the United defence, and showed why the visitors are sitting top of the League. In the 26th minute, Giorgio Rasulo was unlucky when his 10-yard effort hit the post before being cleared. In an end-to-end encounter, the Rouslers then went close in the 30th minute when Thomas Taylor saw his header drift wide.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 39th minute when Mills lost the ball in midfield, and Michael Taylor ran through unopposed to slot the ball past the stranded Jack Harding from the edge of the box to open the scoring.

After the break, United's best chance of drawing level arrived in the 53rd minute when Fasanmade was brought down just outside of the penalty area, and Rasulo's impressive free-kick was brilliantly turned past the post for a corner by Sporting's 'keeper Daniel Platt.

As the game wore on, it was Bromsgrove that looked the more dangerous, as United threw caution to the wind, looking for the equaliser, and eventually Ricky Johnson moved up front to add some aerial power to the attack, and whilst he won almost every header, there were fewer and fewer crosses put over, and with Sporting's well-marshalled rearguard having to work a bit harder, they saw the game out, to increase their lead at the top of the League table, and to consign United to their third League defeat on the trot, all without scoring.

Banbury United:- Jack Harding, Jake Walker, Lewis Wilson, Jack Westbrook, Charlie Hawtin, Giorgio Rasulo, Ricky Johnson (captain), Amer Awadh, John Mills (56 mins. Ravin Shamsi), Craig Fasanmade (77 mins. Roger Ngaah Bosio), Greg Kaziboni.
Subs not used: Eddie Odhiambo, Jenson Wright, Ryan MacDonald.

Bromsgrove Sporting:- Daniel Platt, Jak Hickman, Harry Higginson, Gift Mussa, Thomas Taylor, Leon Broadhurst, Greg Mills (85 mins. Kieren Westwood), Liam Spink (61 mins. Joshua Quaynor), Michael Taylor, Richsrd Gregory (captain) (68 mins. Shaquille McDonald), William Shorrock.
Subs not used: Max Beardmore, Charlie Dowd.

Attendance – 633