Banbury United had to settle for a share of the spoils in a dour Premier Division encounter against Halesowen at Spencer Stadium yesterday.

Having faced each other six days previously, there was a danger that the sides would cancel each other out.

And so it proved with Banbury never managing a shot on target for the whole of the first half as the game stagnated into a dour midfield struggle.

After the break, Banbury took the lead. Andy Baird was fouled in the penalty area, and Jon Gardner stepped up to fire the spot-kick powerfully past James Dormand to give Banbury an unlikely 51st-minute lead.

Halesowen equalised three minutes later when a clearance from the Puritans was seized upon by Troy Deeney who fired a low shot through a crowded penalty area into the corner of the net.

A draw was probably a fair result, but the entertainment proved poor.

Banbury's game at Maidenhead on Saturday was abandoned after 15 minutes due to heavy rain. The score was 0-0.