CHARLIE Ellison led the way with a hat-trick as Oxford Hawks picked up three vital points in South League Premier 1 with a 5-2 victory away to Eastbourne on Saturday.

The Sussex side have picked up just a single point all season and are doomed to the drop, but Hawks were anxious for points of their own battle to avoid getting sucked into the relegation play-offs.

They had a dream start, going 2-0 up in the first ten minutes thanks to Ellison (pictured below) from short corners. Eastbourne are going down fighting and pulled one back before Hawks restored their two-goal lead via an Andy Seiman pen-alty to make it 3-1 at half-time.

After the break, Ellison completed his hat-trick from another short corner to take his tally to ten for the season. Seiman then saw a second penalty sail over the bar before Eastbourne cut the deficit, but a far-post tap-in by Matt Wood wrapped it up. Oxford University won 4-1 at third-placed Spencer but remain fourth in the table.

Their goals came from Rupert Allison (2), Chris Borrett, Gus Kennedy and Oliver Sugg. Oxford Hawks 2nd went down 7-2 to Barnes in Premier Division 2, while Harry Loxton led the way with four goals as Banbury thrashed Marlow 7-1.

Nick Best, Richard Foreman and Barney Williams were also on the mark. Oxford lost a ding-dong battle 7-5 at home to Old Merchant Taylors in MBBO Regional 1.

Dan Bleach (2), Matt McKeown (2) and Dan Smyth scored their goals.

Wallingford showed no mercy to bottom-of-the-table Aylesbury as they ran out 3-0 winners. The visitors broke the deadlock when Rowan Wheeler rounded the Aylesbury keeper. Wheeler extended Wallingford’s lead early in the second half via a well-worked short corner, and Bret Horlock put the result beyond doubt with a neat finish. Goalkeeper Adam Mills denied the home side a late consolation. Witney gained a valuable point in their fight to avoid relegation by holding Eastcote to a 2-2 draw at home. Scott Summers bagged both goals.

Bicester were held to a 2-2 draw by Wokingham in MBB&O Division 1, but still moved up a place to second in the table.

Dave Sutcliffe notched his 22nd goal of the season to put Bicester ahead and they doubled their lead early in the second half through Harry Gaunt. Wokingham drew level in a frantic five-minute spell and Bicester had man-of-the-match goalkeeper Peter Bowen to thank for a couple of late saves.

Leaders Oxford Hawks 3rd dropped their first points in a 0-0 draw against Wycombe 2nd.

OTHER SCORES.

Witney 2nd 3 (T Yallop 2, J Collins), Oxford Hawks 4th 8 (R Manson 4, A Scholey 3, R Finnegan); Oxford Hawks 5th 3 (C Derby, P Scragg, R Venables), Oxford 6th 2; Oxford Hawks w/o Harrow 2nd 5-0; Oxford Hawks Senators w/o Surbiton Jokers 5-0; Oxford Hawks Falcons 1 (P Dunnill), Guildford Gondoliers 0; Oxford 2nd 1 (C Way), Slough 2; Oxford 3rd 4 (O Dale, N Devaney, C Gray, R Harding), Phoenix & Ranelagh 3; Oxford 4th 3 (J Burke, B Matthews, M Hanscombe), Slough 2; Oxford 5th w/o West London 5-0; Oxford 6th 2 (og, T Christophers), Oxford Hawks 5th 3; Oxford Hamsters 1 (I Wild), Wycombe 5th 6; Oxford 8th 1 (J Tipple), Gerrards Cross 3rd 4; Oxford 9th 2 (D Haycock, A Ahmed), Bicester Development 2; Oxford Bulls 5 (R Lawrence 2, T Scrase, A Fry, M Hunter), Alton Vets 3; Bicester 3rd 3 (J Crook, N Styles, P English), Reading Rovers 1; Eastcote 5th 8, Witney 3rd 0; Marlow 4th 7, Witney 4th 0.

Youth - Oxford Hawks U14 boys 5, Old Loughtonians 2.