Harriers made it back-to-back National League North wins with a 1-0 victory at Banbury United.

Ashley Hemmings scored the only goal of the game in the first half to deliver another important result for Russ Penn’s men, who appear to have well and truly banished the misery of their recent bad run with successive victories and clean sheets.

Russ Penn had the rare luxury of being able to name an unchanged starting eleven and substitute’s bench following the previous match, the win over Chorley at Aggborough.

The two sides spent some time feeling one another out in the first half and real chances were sparse – Jack Stevens firing into the hands of Tom Palmer at one end before Hemmings drilled one from close range at Jack Harding at the other.

With 19 minutes on the clock Keziah Martin came close to an outrageous opener as his volley from a cleared corner thwacked the bar with Harding well beaten.

A key four-minute period then saw Harriers survive a scare at one end before breaking the deadlock. First, Shane Byrne’s key intervention kept out Slavi Spasov’s effort before, with 32 on the clock, Hemmings headed home from three yards following a delightful Gabby Rogers cross.

Half-chances before the hour saw Harriers try and push for a second goal through Ethan Freemantle, Rogers and Tom Leak, before Joe Starbuck’s 68th minute drive flashed across the target and wide.

Rogers, always lively on the ball and a threat, had a 71st minute shot that he blazed into the side-netting, the hosts then going close with a brace of openings, Ben Acquaye shooting low as Palmer made a save, Sam Brown then planting a thumping header from a good cross over the bar.

Jak Hickman fired wide for the Puritans with eight left to play, before Banbury’s best chance of the afternoon came in the dying seconds. Slavi Spasov was threaded through in the area and shot firmly, Palmer denying him superbly with an outstanding stop that helped secure his side the points.

Post-match, Jimmy O’Connor said: “To come here with the mentality to do what we’ve done today – we were really respectful with our approach, but I thought we carried out our game plan really well.

“We nullified a side who create a lot of chances and who are very dangerous. Massive credit to the group.”