MATT Wood and Oliver Lobo scored to give Oxford Hawks a crucial win over fellow strugglers Brighton & Hove.

The 2-1 success kept them second bottom in the Men’s Hockey League Division 1 South, but now level on points with their opponents.

Given the circumstances, a good start was vital and Wood put the hosts in front with a calm finish after just two minutes.

It did little to settle the game down, though, as neither side were able to gain control of a scrappy clash.

Hawks finally found some quality at the start of the final quarter, with Lobo finishing off an excellent move involving Noah Francis, Tom Miotto and Andy Watts.

They looked set for a straightforward finish, but a soft goal allowed Brighton a glimmer of a chance with two minutes left.

Fortunately the visitors could not take advantage, as Hawks held on for a significant victory.

Oxford OBU were grateful to goalkeeper Callum Chapman as they claimed a 1-1 draw at home to Tulse Hill & Dulwich.

It saw them slip three points off the lead, albeit with a game in hand, in Premier Division 2 West of the South League.

But they could easily have lost, Chapman pulling off several smart saves to keep the hosts in the game.

Zum Akhter equalised from a well-worked penalty corner routine with ten minutes left, before having a goal chalked off with the last move of the game due to encroachment.

Witney climbed to fifth in MBBO Regional 1 with a 4-2 success against basement side Aylesbury.

The visitors opened the scoring with their first attack, but goals from James Youngman and Harry Harbage put Witney in front by half-time.

Fraser Barnard stretched the lead, but Aylesbury pulled one back before Ryan

Fitz-John made the points safe.

Witney Ladies were held to a 1-1 draw by Marlow in their first home game of 2020.

The result made it one win in six games for the hosts, who are on their own in third place in South Clubs’ Women’s Hockey League Division 1.

Abi Flory put Witney in front via a short corner in the first half, but Marlow responded before half-time.

Goalkeeper Emily Munsey impressed in the second half to preserve the point.

Oxford’s lead in Division 2 was trimmed to five points as they lost 3-1 at home to Oxford Hawks 2nd.

Helen Nicholson (2) and Alice Potter helped the visitors race into a 3-0 lead.

Oxford had chances from penalty corners, but did not score until four minutes from time.

Kim Warman finished off a move in open play, but it could not prevent a second league defeat of the campaign.

LATEST RESULTS

Men

Oxford Hawks 2nd 4 (A Copestake 2, T Claughton, J Lawton-Smith), OMT 2; Banbury 2nd 3, Oxford Hawks 3rd 1 (R Scragg); Marlow 3rd 3, Oxford Hawks 4th 3 (B Barber 2, C Maidlow); Oxford Hawks 5th 1 (A Laird), Oxford University 4th 1; Phoenix & Ranelagh 2nd 3, Oxford Hawks 6th 2 (J Nugent 2); Oxford Hawks 7th 1, Henley 5th 6; S Berks 2nd 4, Oxford 3rd 2 (S Lyddon, R Griffiths); Eastcote 4th 0, Oxford 4th 3 (D MacArthur 2, J Powell); Ashford 3rd 2, Oxford 6th 0; Reading Rovers 7, Oxford 7th 3 (E Dyer 2, R Bleach); Oxford 8th 6 (M Coniham 2, S Dogar 2, E Barrett, R Phillips), Aylesbury & Tring Dev 2; Eastcote Eagles 2, Oxford 9th 4 (E van den Dael 3, M Tappin); Witney 2nd 1 (C Summers), BA 2; Witney 3rd 3 (R Morgan 2, E Easterbrook), Phoenix & Ranelagh 2; Wallingford 1 (T Chamberlain), Reading 4th 0; Amersham & Chalfont 2nd 1, Wallingford 2nd 2 (B White 2); Wallingford 3rd 2 (L Casey 2), Amersham & Chalfont 3rd 3; S Berkshire 4th 3, Wallingford 4th 2 (C Hodgson, R Jackson); Wallingford 5th 1 (J Rees), Banbury 5th 2.

Ladies

Cheltenham 2, Oxford Hawks 1 (S Jacobs); Banbury 7th 7, Oxford Hawks 3rd 3 (M Minton, V Sauven, H Senior); Witney 2nd 1 (J O’Brien), Oxford Hawks 4th 1 (K Williams); Marlow 4th 5, Oxford Hawks 5th 3 (P Cantwell, Z Holland, L Sammons); Oxford Hawks 6th 3 (L Hiner 2, M Grinham), Thame 2nd 4; Oxford Hawks 7th 0, Newbury & Thatcham 4th 0; Aylesbury 2, Oxford 2nd 2 (R Andrew, C Boyd); Wycombe 2nd 0, Oxford 3rd 2 (A Roberts, K Smith); Oxford 4th 3 (J Hudson, E Reynolds, F Kramer), Abingdon 1; Oxford 5th 3 (L Jones, Z Driscoll, M Howe), Maidenhead 4th 5; Amersham & Chalfont 5th 7, Oxford 6th 1 (A Charania); Thame 4th 4, Oxford 8th 1 (E Allen); Witney 3rd 1 (G Noton), Phoenix & Ranelagh 3rd 1; Newbury 0, Wallingford 3 (E McCluskey, L Stenson, C Potts); Wallingford 2nd 1, Sonning 2nd 2; Sonning 3rd 1, Wallingford 3rd 1 (K Buss); Thame 3rd 1, Wallingford 4th 3 (A Clements, K Whitfield, M Alexander); Wycombe 6th 1, Wallingford 5th 2 (Z Pybuss, A Wakatsuki); Oxford Leopards 1, Oxford Hawks Kestrels 2.