MIKE Ford has urged his Banbury United side to maintain the standards which has seen them become league leaders.

A run of nine straight league wins has lifted the Puritans to the top of the Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West table.

But Ford warned his side against complacency if they are to extend that run to ten away to Mangotsfield United tomorrow afternoon.

“You get your rewards for hard work and we’ve reaped those rewards lately,” he said.

“But there’s a lot more work that we need to do between now and the end of the season.

“We need to remember our style of play, remember our philosophy and continue to do what we’ve done to get ourselves into this position.”

Winger Mark Bell serves the final game of his three-game suspension, while Banbury are also without defender Callum White due to an ankle injury.

The Puritans could soon boast an international amidst their ranks after midfielder Duran Martin was called up to the Antigua & Barbuda national side.

Martin and Oxford United youngster AJ George will both join up with the squad from March 20-29 for CFU Caribbean Cup qualifiers against Aruba and St Kitts & Nevis.

Ford believes Martin is one of many of the current Banbury squad who could enjoy a bright future at the club.

“Obviously it’s great for him and I just hope he gets on the pitch, gets a chance to impress and comes back to us an international player,” said Ford.

“It’s good for the club, but most importantly it’s good for Duran.”

He added: “We have a young squad and lots of these players could go on to play an important role for Banbury for years to come.

“I have to accept that we’re a long way down the food chain and we probably will lose good players to bigger and better things.

“But these players are hungry and ambitious and that’s not a bad thing.”

TOMORROW’S SQUAD

Banbury Utd (v Mangotsfield Utd, away): from Harding, Welch-Hayes, Martin, Wise, Westbrook, Gunn, Stanbridge, Browne, Nash, Johnson, Howards, McEachran, Blackstock, Barcelos, Hopkins, Davies.