REPORT: Quorn 0-0 Banbury United

Quorn go close to getting a late goal in our stalemate with Banbury United.

Quorn finished their pre-season campaign with a 0-0 draw at home to fellow Step 3 side Banbury United.

The game was their first and only opportunity of pre-season to test themselves against a team playing at the same level as themselves and while the away side will come away feeling that they should have won, both sides cancelled each other out in a goalless draw.

Before the game, Quorn manager Ryan Beswick presented Club Chairman Stuart Turner with a gift from the club to mark his 90th birthday which came on Wednesday.

Earlier in the week, Quorn announced the signings of Jaiden Owen, Elliot Smith and Aidan Edwards, and they all played their part in this game as they look to integrate quickly into the squad.

Banbury started the game quickly and had a few early chances to take the lead through Anker and Patterson.

One of the themes of the game was a number of chances for the away side that were cleared off the line. Anker had a shot cleared off the line early in the first half before Banbury were denied by a goal line clearance later in the half and once more in the second half.

The Methodists managed to weather the early storm from the home side and grew into the first half as it wore on. However, while Quorn were able to get into good areas, they struggled to work the Banbury goalkeeper as their opportunities mostly failed to hit the target.

In particular, striker Tim Berridge looked lively and was involved in most of Quorn’s play going forward. Midway through the first half, Berridge collected the ball in midfield, skipped past a defender and fired a shot at goal that went just wide.

At the break, Quorn made several changes to the team including bringing on goalkeeper Elliot Smith and he had his work cut out in the second half to deny Banbury an opening goal. Prosser, Steele and Anker all had good chances saved by Smith.

Arguably the best chance of the game fell to Quorn not long before the end but as the ball bounced around the box and fell to a trialist in the box, the shot went just the wrong side of the post.

Two draws in a row against similar or higher-level opposition give Quorn hope as pre-season draws to an end with the competitive season now less than a week away as they travel to Avro on Saturday.