Oxford Hawks handed out a 5-1 lesson away to title rivals High Wycombe to go three points clear at the top of the South League Premier Division 2.

The quick pitch suited Hawks’ game, keeping possession and playing at high speed which left Wycombe chasing shadows.

Ted Bennett scored at the far post from a Craig Larner cross to put them ahead and a fine individual goal from Kieran Roche, after picking the ball up just inside the Wycombe half, made it 2-0.

Charlie Ellison converted a short corner to send Hawks into the break 3-0 to the good.

Wycombe replied early in the second half, but it only spurred Hawks to greater efforts and two further goals from Rob Miller and man-of-the-match Roche completed a cracking victory.

Oxford maintained their challenge at the top of Middlesex, Berks, Bucks & Oxon Regional 1 with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Old Merchant Taylors.

The only goal of the game came when Dan Bleach’s pace and persistence forced a mistake from the OMT defence, and his pass found Dan Smyth, who beat the advancing keeper.

OMT looked dangerous on the counter, and forced a sequence of short corners, but could find no way through.

As the game wore on, they threw more players forward, and Oxford looked dangerous on the counter with Andy Wynd, Smyth and Bleach all going close.

Another fine performance saw Witney go joint second in Regional 2 after a 4-0 win over West Hampstead 2nd. Their goals came from Justin Peel, Tim Hardy, Dan Wallis and Ben Wells.

Bicester drew 2-2 with Eastcote 3rd in Division 1 at Cooper School.

Stu Locke deflected the ball past the keeper at the near post to give Bicester a deserved lead and it soon became 2-0 as Jonny Reid set up Luke Smith.

Eastcote came back strongly after the break and dominated the second half with two goals to take a share of the points.

OTHER RESULTS.

Oxford 2nd 3 (A Small, B White, N Carter), Amersham & Chalfont 5; Ramgarhia 3rd 3, Oxford 3rd 1 (S Fisher); Eastcote 4th 4, Oxford 5th 3 (W Jenkinson 2, A Hazlewood); Oxford 6th 5 (M Neville 3, D Cowley 2), Eastcote 7th 4; Leighton Buzzard 2nd 2, Oxford 7th 3 (P Charrett, W Bartrip, J Williams); Oxford 8th 4, Oxford Hamsters 2 (K Walker, J Spry); Oxford 9th 1, Thame 2nd 4; Oxford Bulls 0, Winchester Vets 12; Oxford Hawks 2nd 2 (S Buckingham, D Paynter), Wycombe 2; Amersham & Chalfont 5, Oxford Hawks 3rd 2; Oxford Hawks 4th 0, Maidenhead 1; Oxford Hawks Fledglings 4, Marlow 3; Oxford Hawks Senators 11 (M Crowley 4, E Baldock 2, A Clark 2, P Poulter 2, S Dawson), Southampton 0; West Hampstead 5th 1, Witney 2nd 1 (S Summers); British Airways 2nd 2, Witney 3rd 1 (N Vigar); Milton Keynes Samurai 5, Witney 4th 0; Witney 5th 3 (M Godwin 2, L Frost), Newbury & Thatcham 4th 2.

Junior matches: Oxford Hawks Under 14 1 (M Rogers), Wycombe 2.