Mike Cook’s Gloucester City made the short trip east to Oxfordshire securing their first away win in nine months courtesy of a 2-1 victory over Banbury.
Cook opted for four changes from the side which narrowly lost to Blyth Spartans on the weekend as he gave full debuts Theo Robinson, Josh Smile and Teddy Rowe, with Brandon Smalley also starting.
Jamie Reckord and Ben Richards-Everton missed the match due to injuries.
Robinson had a chance very early on but the striker couldn’t get on the end of a good cross from Smalley.
Ken Charles had a half chance presented to him when Harvey Giles cut inside and delivered an in-swinging cross but the number nine couldn’t direct his header towards goal.
Banbury’s Joe Wilson flashed an effort across the face of goal from just under 30 yards away but deflected wide for a corner, which City defended with ease.
City broke the deadlock on 15 minutes thanks to a delightful ball in behind from Elliott Durrell which found Harry Emmett who cut the ball back to Robinson who took a touch inside and slotted home with ease for his first City goal.
Louis Hall tried an audacious effort from 25 yards but his shot failed to trouble Zach Jeacock in the city net.
Charles found himself close to getting an equaliser after latching onto a long ball through the middle but the forward could only find the side netting.
Ethan Fitzhugh tried his luck from 25 yards with a left footed strike which sailed wide of the post, after a heavy spell of possession for the home side.
The home side picked up where they left off at the start of the second half applying lots of pressure on the City defence as they searched for an equaliser.
City came desperately close as a counter attack set Durrell through on the goal as the veteran midfielder laid the ball off to Harry Pinchard, who dribbled past Jack Harding in the Banbury net, but lifted his shot over the bar.
Smalley was replaced by the young Ben Beresford in the second half.
The hosts eventually found their equaliser after a loose ball in the box found its way to Emmanuel Maja and the midfielder slotted the ball home.
It wasn’t long until City regained the lead thanks to super-sun Beresford who scored another goal of the bench, getting on the end of a Pinchard corner.
Beresford nearly dispatched a second goal after a delightful driven cross from Louis McGrory, but the Birmingham City loanee couldn’t get on the end of his cross.
It was one way traffic after City regained the lead with Banbury maintaining most of the possession as the game winded down.
Substitute Danny Wright could have wrapped up the game as the veteran striker brought down a cross in the box, but the forward scuffed his shot wide.
The full time whistle was blown as Cook’s side picked up their first away win.
Gloucester will be back on the road on the weekend as they travel to Hertfordshire to take on Bishops Stortford in hopes of closing the gap on safety.