Bishop’s Stortford 0-0 Banbury United Match Report

August 12, 2026

08/08/26

Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division

Hamish Arnold

Banbury United held Bishop’s Stortford to a goalless draw in the opening game of the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central Division season at the Grundon Community Stadium on Saturday.

Frank Norris outmuscled a defender in the box and laid the ball off to Harry Titchmarsh on the edge of the box, but his low shot was pushed round the post by Jack Harding. Fabio Virciglio made a driving run through midfield onto the wing and passed to Greene in the middle but his shot was straight to the goalkeeper, before Jack Smith curled a free kick narrowly over the bar. Virciglio volleyed goalwards after bringing down a long ball but the shot was saved. The Puritans grew into the match and had chances towards the end of the first half to open the scoring. Rico Patterson saw his low shot from the left side of the box saved well by a diving Max Woodford and Alex Prosser kept the ball under pressure but fired wide of the target with a volley.

HT 0-0

Tyrone Baker saw his curling effort go over the crossbar from the left side of the box before Connor Ferguson made some space for a shot for the visitors but Jake Thompson headed the ball clear for a corner, and Ferguson curled an effort narrowly wide of the left side of the goal from 20 yards with Woodford beaten despite a full length dive. Levi Steele’s diving header was saved by Woodford who took the ball on his chest, Stortford broke from the following corner but Baker couldn’t work space for a shot before the defence recovered, with Harding rushing out to close down the shooting angle. Woodford claimed the ball deep into injury time when Otis Castle won a free header from a free kick

FT 0-0

TEAMS

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Max WOODFORD

3 Leon DAVIES

5 Jake THOMPSON (c)

6 Alfie THORNETT

7 Tyrone BAKER (Longwe 90’)

8 Harry TITCHMARSH (Yellow card 60’) (Onyeagwara 65’)

9 Frank NORRIS (Okolie 75’)

12 Fabio VIRCIGLIO (Nardelli 90+3’)

14 Jack SMITH

17 Aaron GREENE (Russell 57’)

22 Charlie JOHNSON (Yellow card 90+6’)

Subs

4 Usisya LONGWE

10 Brad RUSSELL

11 Obi ONYEAGWARA

16 Joe NARDELLI

19 Samuel OKOLIE

Banbury United XI

1 Jack HARDING

2 Harrison MOLE

3 Finn HOWELL

4 Aaron McCREADIE

5 Jacob SCOTT

6 Oran JACKSON (Castle 73’)

7 Connor FERGUSON

8 Alex PROSSER (c)

9 Levi STEELE

10 Rico PATTERSON (Yellow card 57’) (Nash 81’)

11 Joey EVANS (Yellow card 39’) (Anker 59’)

Subs

12 Max FULLER

14 Joel GIBLIN

15 Ben NASH

16 Otis CASTLE

17 Joel ANKER

Attendance 438