Bicester 22, Hucclecote 16: A freak try from hooker Martin Ewins made all the difference at Oxford Road as Bicester reached round four of the Powergen Junior Vase.

They will now host Nottingham side East Retford in round five on November 26.

Some excellent kicking from the returning Pat Coogan had given them the advantage on Saturday.

But a late score from Hucclecote replacement Martin Veale would have proved crucial, had it not been for the alert Ewins.

Lock Mark Malins seemed destined to cross over following a 75th-minute charge down, but slipped with the try line at his mercy.

His mis-hit grubber kick trickled towards Hucclecote full back Graham Stokes-Richards, who looked set to touch down for a 22 drop-out.

The ball had other ideas and bounced sideways, leaving Ewins to pounce for one of the most bizarre tries he will ever score.

Coogan converted from wide on the right to give Bicester a 22-9 lead.

That two forwards combined for the hosts' only try was fitting in a game largely contested up front.

Led by irrepressible flanker Sean Cooke, Bicester just about had the edge.

This saw Hucclecote concede more penalties, which Coogan punished.

Hucclecote had an equally impressive kicker in fly half Adie Lowe and two well-struck penalties saw them lead 6-0 after 19 minutes.

Bicester struggled to find the fluency they have shown elsewhere this season, but were more then compensated by the fit-again Coogan.

He made it 6-3 on 22 minutes and kicked a second penalty to equalise just before the break.

But a better pass from No 8 Christian Wright could have set up a try for Paul Leverton on the half-hour.

Hucclecote's pack continued to stray offside and gifted Coogan a simple penalty on 48 minutes.

He repeated the trick on 54 and 59 and was only just off the mark on 57.

Coogan's fifth penalty came after Hucclecote scrum half Matt Wainwright was sin-binned for back-chat.

Lowe made it 15-9 with his third penalty out of three on 72 minutes before Ewins struck.

Leverton stopped Dan Ardwinkle 15 metres out with an injury time tap tackle, but Bicester couldn't clear.

The pressure eventually told and Veale crashed over for Lowe to convert with the game's final kick.

The only other time Bicester faced Hucclecote was en route to Twickenham in the 1991Junior Vase - what price another trip to RFU HQ?

Bicester: Walsh, Leverton, Rollason (A Spencer 52), P Coogan, D Spencer, Kenny, Risbridger, Shaw, Ewins, Thurlow, Shouler (capt), Malins, Cooke, Nightingale, Wright.

Hucclecote: Stokes-Richards, Workman, Locke, Herbert, Hannaford, Lowe, Wainwright (Hinde 69), Payne, Swanborough, Taylor, Barnard (Veale 55), Hanslow, Harben, Ardwinkle, Jackson.

Bicester man-of-the-match: Cooke.