Scarborough Athletic 3-3 Banbury United

Scarborough Athletic 3-3 Banbury United

National League North

Saturday 29th April 2023

Nothing can quite beat the emotions felt in football sometimes and this final day of the season game in the National League North was an absolute classic.

On an afternoon when so many teams had an eye on a Play-Off spot - and the positions themselves changed multiple times, Scarborough knew what they had to do going into it, were on course to do it early on until a brilliant comeback by Banbury had seemingly killed their hopes, only for a juggernaut of emotions during a bizarre and dramatic three minutes of injury-time in which the Seadogs scored twice.

It was some afternoon!

Given there were so many games with something riding on them, I had a few options of ‘where to go’ yesterday. It could have been Blyth (who’ve done an incredible job to avoid the drop as they looked down and out at one point), it could have been Kidderminster vs Kettering to watch the various players I’m familiar with in those two teams, and Chester versus Buxton was another good option as I’ve somehow not seen Sam Osborne this season - which has been bugging me quite a bit.

It was never going to be a trip to Peterborough Sports though, who I hope are thrown out of the National League North on principle given what’s gone on there this season regarding their budget and what they’ve spent money on, coupled with the (lack of) ground developments until very, very recently.

Instead, having analysed all the options, my decision was a trip to the Flamingo Land Stadium (what a name) - partly because I’d never been here before and partly because it meant another chance to watch Ben Radcliffe who impressed me so much last week and put in another performance in this game which backed up my already positive opinion of him. More on him at the bottom!

Despite the last-gasp defeat to Spennymoor last Saturday which was as agonising as you can get, results elsewhere meant Banbury were safe from relegation going into this game but anyone who thought they might be in holiday mode were wrong, because they nailed the role of party poopers to perfection and produced the type of performance which epitomises everything that an Andy Whing team is all about.

It’s no wonder the 180 or so Banbury fans were singing ‘One more year Whingy, two more years, three more years, Whingy, four more years’ in recognition of the effort which was on show by those in yellow shirts!

Scarborough started the day in the Play-Offs spots and got an early goal which ought to have settled a few nerves when a corner was swung into the six-yard box and Kieran Weledji was allowed a run on goal which culminated in him powering a header into the net from a central position. Sloppy defending, 1-0, and Scarborough were in charge!

If the Seadogs thought it was going to be an easy afternoon from this point onwards though, they were completely wrong.

Banbury looked good on the 4G pitch - knocking the ball around well at times even before their equaliser and soon enough, they forced a quick equaliser as Ben Radcliffe showed another little glimpse of his quality; bursting down the right with the ball at his feet before providing an inch-perfect low cross which was slotted home by Alex Babos. A well-worked finish and worthy of applause!

At 1-1, a few nerves amongst the expectant Scarborough crowded started to show because Banbury got on top and really started to look like the team needing to win - and they soon completed the turnaround with Henry Landers managing to convert on 33 minutes, via a deflection, from a similar sort of position to the first goal.

Scarborough went close on the stroke of the half-time whistle as Kieran Weledji flashed a shot over the upright from the edge of the box but after the re-start, Banbury’s effort, commitment, application and character couldn’t be faulted and they ought to have been out of sight when Aidan Elliot-Wheeler scored one of the best goals he’s ever likely to score - picking up the ball about 20 yards out and striking it in sumptuous style over the Seadogs ‘keeper and into the net. The verve, vision and venom behind the shot was superb as from the moment it left his foot, you knew it was heading into the net and at 3-1 to Banbury, it really looked as if it would be a day to remember for the Puritans (and especially those in fancy dress - albeit that Luigi costume was nowhere to be seen).

Although Scarborough mustered up a couple of set-pieces in the minutes immediately after Banbury’s third goal, they couldn’t do anything with them as Banbury defended doggedly yet again - and needing two points (thus three goals) to get back into the Play-Offs at this point, their hopes seemed to be drifting away from them.

Quite a few home fans said their goodbyes to one another; half-recognising that it wasn’t going to be their day, and that seemed to be that as the clock ticked beyond 16:45.

But football can sometimes work in mysterious ways and just before the fourth official held up the board to indicate three minutes of injury-time, Scarborough gave themselves a lifeline and the slightest of slight glimmers of hope when Will Thornton managed to put the ball into the net via a close-range header.

3-2 - and ‘the game was on again’ (as ABBA once said in ‘The Winner Takes It All’) - not sure if that one would be a good one for Radders to sing along to in the warm-up though.

Radcliffe was then in the thick of the action in those three minutes of injury-time as a free-kick was given against him on the edge of his own box; harshly so in some respects as he also took a flailing hand in the mouth in the same incident, which gave Scarborough a perfect chance to score again.

And with results elsewhere now meaning that just an equaliser would put them back into the Play-Off spots, this was it. This was the moment. This was the season - and everything was riding on this free-kick.

A deflection off Lewis Maloney’s shot saw Banbury ‘keeper Jack Harding wrong-footed and the ball end up in the net - cue absolute bedlam and utter pandemonium as Maloney whipped off his shirt, seemingly the hero, and sprinted down to the other end of the pitch to celebrate infront of the packed terrace. Euphoria! Screams of delight. The substitutes charged on, he was mobbed by his team-mates, and Scarborough WERE IN!

Only they weren’t… because no sooner had that ball hit the net, news then filtered through from elsewhere that Gloucester City (who haven’t impressed me at all when I’ve watched them this season) had scored an injury-time winner in their game to instead be the team that were in the Play-Offs positions - and Jonathan Greening was only too aware of this as he desperately tried to get the news to his players that they needed to score again.

Ultimately, it wasn’t to be because with practically no time left, the full-time whistle soon sounded - and after a delay of about five minutes news filtered through that Gloucester had won their game and so for Scarborough the season was over. Nevertheless, it’s still one for them to be immensely proud of as they were expected to struggle, were dubbed by some as ‘relegation candidates’ (lovely tag that one is to fire up a squad) yet they’ve defied the odds and given a really good account of themselves and proved they’re more than capable of mixing it with some of the teams at this level.

Banbury, likewise, have came into this league, punched above their weight and have survived - and it should be remembered that in this game, they were the best team who were ruthless infront of goal, ruthless in their own box and put in a really impressive shift.

Cody Johnson (No.14) was good - especially with his footwork, nimble movement and the way he glided past people with the ball, Aidan Elliot-Wheeler (No.17) was similarly positive when he was up the pitch, tricky with his movement, and the goal was just a sublime bit of quality which proves he’s got an end product in his locker. I was told the other day that Banbury had a very good loanee from Oxford United and it’s not a surprise to learn that he is that loanee. A good player with a bit of silky style, who is worthy of respect and a goal to smile about this morning if he reads this!

I could go on for hours about Ben Radcliffe so I’ll try and keep it short - but everything I saw last week he backed up again in this game (plus a bit more with the assist which proves he has an end product). From singing in the warm-up - can’t remember the song but there were no seagulls around so he obviously scared them away, to his daft and constant smile (which is infectious), to putting his body on the line - evidenced by some brave bits of defending; winning his headers and clearing his lines aggressively a few times, to his attitude and application, it’s phenomenal. When he had cramp early in the second half, he battled on - just as he did when he got the little smack in the mouth whilst giving away the late free-kick. There’s a few bits he has to improve with his positional play and awareness (that will come with age/experience as he’s still young) but the bottom line is he’s a warrior, he’s got the physique - and watching a lot of youth football at 18s or 21s level, I just wish every player had 10% of what he’s all about because football would be so much better for having more Ben Radcliffe’s about. I absolutely love him to bits already with everything I’ve seen over the past two games, plus the few times I’ve seen him play for Burton at U18s level and all the people I’ve spoke to who’ve told me about his character, and he’s an absolute credit to himself and his family with how he conducts himself both on and off the pitch. His value to a team is absolutely massive!

All credit though to Andy Whing for doing his research to recruit these lads in the first place- mentions again for Cody Johnson and Aidan Elliott-Wheeler, putting the hours in to nurture and make them better players, putting decent guys like Alex Babos (who offers loads) around them along with a few other older heads, and then putting the trust in the young lads to go out onto the pitch where they can shine. It’s good management, exactly why he’s so highly thought of in football as a manager, and everyone has reaped the rewards from it. It just breeds confidence and in a business which can be so shitty, cut-throat and horrible at times, what a refreshing feeling that can be that means so much!

A very enjoyable day. Genuinely one of the games that I’ve enjoyed the most this season in about 130 that I've watched this season (rest coming soon) - and if there was a closing song for this piece, I know who I’d get to provide the vocals.