Oxford City Stars are sweating on the result of the penultimate game of the season which will determine if they remain in English National League South Division 1.

Stars missed the chance to secure safety after losing 7-5 at bottom club Cardiff Devils, and then drawing 2-2 against league champions Chelmsford Chieftains 24 hours later.

Those results mean it is now out of Oxford’s hands whether they survive relegation.

Cardiff travel to London Raiders on Saturday night knowing that victory will see them jump into ninth place, sending Stars down.

But any other result will see Oxford stay up.

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It was a thrilling two days of action, even though neither result helped Stars’ cause.

They fell behind to a Kieran Latchford goal at Cardiff after just five minutes, but Dax Hedges equalised almost immediately.

Jonathan Nash, assisted by Latchford, made it 2-1 to the hosts and the advantage was extended by Steve Newton.

A series of penalties from Cardiff handed Oxford the opportunity to get back into the game, and Evan Mackintosh netted twice in less than a minute to make it 3-3.

Mike Whillock put Oxford 4-3 ahead, but after James Pentecost missed a great chance to stretch the lead, Stars were made to pay when Latchford levelled and then Jamie Hayes put Cardiff in front.

Hayes bagged his second of the game, controversially, soon after the start of the third period, with Oxford’s protests for tripping waved away by the officials.

Player-coach Darren Elliott made it 6-5 to give Oxford hope late on, but after they withdrew their netminder in a bid to force an equaliser, Cardiff caught them on the break, with Hayes sealing his hat-trick into an empty net.

The following night, a sensa - tional display from netminder James Skaife secured a 2-2 draw at champions Chelms - ford.

Skaife recorded 47 saves from 49 shots on goal in one of the greatest performances by an Oxford player in the club’s 30-year history.

Mackintosh and Whillock fired Stars into a 2-0 lead, but despite heroics from the keeper, the leaders salvaged a draw with goals from Michael Ranby and Cameron Bartlett to leave Stars sweating on this weekend’s result.