A hat-trick from leading goalscorer Catherine Howse and a clean sheet, their fourth in their last five league games, means United are now just three points behind second placed Tower Hill with a game in hand over the Witney based side.

United got off to the best of starts by scoring twice in the first twelve minutes. There were just seven minutes on the clock when a corner from the left taken by Zoe Boote saw Jenna O’Neil’s header blocked but the loose ball was then smashed home from five yards by Catherine Howse. Five minutes later it was 2-0 when Alex Ayckbourn put Howse through on goal down the left hand side and with just the advancing goalkeeper to beat she did so by curling the ball around the custodian enter the far corner of the net.

Fleet though worked hard to get back into the game and certainly had their fair share of possession as the half developed further but they were unable to find a way through. For their part Banbury always looked very dangerous when they went forward and on 30 minutes nearly went further ahead when a Boote corner from the right fell to Josie Clark, only for her to be unfortunate to see her shot from eight yards strike the post.

Fleet were much improved at the start of the second half and put Banbury under a lot of pressure so it was against the run of play that Banbury scored their third goal on the hour mark when Clark passed the ball through the middle to Howse who through on goal slotted the ball past the home goalkeeper to make it 3-0 and complete her hat-trick.

Fleet refused to lie down though and continued to put Banbury under some pressure. On 56 minutes Nicky Isted came to United’s rescue with a fine save and just thirty seconds later the home side hit the bar. The woodwork again denied Fleet in the 77th as a quickly taken free-kick from just outside the penalty area smashed against the bar. Four minutes from time Isted did well to dive low to her left to keep out a goal-bound shot to ensure United left with a three goal winning margin.

Banbury United: Nicky Isted, Jenny Hoggins, Rebecca Howard, Jenna O’Neil, Sarah Rhind, Lucy Durnin, Lacey Walton, Zoe Boote, Catherine Howse, Josie Clark, Alex Ayckbourn. Subs: None