WINCHESTER City have been given even more incentive to beat Banbury United in tomorrow night’s Southern One South & West play-off semi-final.

As the fifth-placed team, City travel to Oxfordshire to take on the second-placed club tomorrow night, with the winners set to play Taunton Town or Swindon Supermarine in Monday's (May 2, 3pm) final.

But City boss Paul Masters, whose side beat Banbury 4-0 in October before losing the away fixture 2-1 in February, says he has been gifted the perfect pre-match team talk.

He said: “Apparently Banbury have been saying on local radio and Twitter that they’re already as good as through to the final.

“They’ve done us a big favour. All I have to do is remind the lads what they’ve been saying before the game.

We’re more than happy to go there as underdogs but I wouldn’t change our starting line-up or squad for any other in the league.”

With City already assured fifth place, Masters rested the likes of Warren Bentley, Andy Forbes, Jamie Barron and Danny King and blooded several teenagers at Shortwood United on Saturday.

Debuts were given to full-backs Mike Miller and Sam Beadle, strikers Brad Elkins and Harrison Faye and midfielder Zachary Hinds.

And City still came away with a point.

Craig Feeney scored an 86th-minute equaliser from the penalty spot after City had gone behind in the 11th minute.

The result means they go into tomorrow’s semi-final in Oxfordshire on the back of a nine-match unbeaten run.

But Masters was more pleased with his rookies’ performances than the result.

He said: “It was a great experience for them and they still got a result away to a good side on the fringes of the play-offs.

“The experienced players we did have, the likes of Leigh Mills and Micky Hubbard, helped them but the way the way they played bodes well for the club’s long-term future.”

City only have long-term absentee Matt Benham unavailable tomorrow night.

Banbury finished 11 points clear of Winchester after beating Taunton Town 2-0 on Saturday, a fifth successive win that avenged their 7-1 away defeat on March 8.

Since then, Banbury have not lost in eight matches.