Banbury began the second half of the season and their bid to remain in Premier 1 of the South League with a promising display at Brighton, but they could not prevent a 1-0 defeat.

With new Australians Jimmy Dick and Nathan Lawler in their ranks, Banbury passed the ball around with pace and confidence.

Royden Burt missed their best first-half chance, while some tidy defending from Josh Nunneley and several good saves from keeper Phil Smith kept the score goalless at the break.

Brighton broke the deadlock from open play after putting Banbury under heavy pressure at the start of the second half, and the visitors’ cause was not helped when Adrian Simons and Lawler were shown yellow cards.

Defeat means Banbury stay rooted to the foot of the table, needing a victory in next week’s crunch home fixture against fellow strugglers Milton Keynes to kick-start their bid for survival.

Oxford Hawks picked up where they left off by dispatching Woking 6-2 to remain top of Premier 2.

Ted Bennett put Hawks ahead inside five minutes, and Joe Brownhill, Bennett again and Dom Roche made it 4-0 at half-time.

Woking pulled one back before Kieran Roche restored the four-goal advantage and was then yellow-carded for not retreating.

Woking took advantage to reduced the deficit, only for Dave Cresswell to add No 6 for Hawks.

Oxford’s Regional Division 1 match against Wallingford was one of several fixtures that fell victim to the frost.

Bicester led top-of-the-table Gerrards Cross in the first half but eventually had to give best to the Middlesex, Berks, Bucks & Oxon Division 1 leaders who ran out 4-1 victors.

The visitors went ahead with a fine goal after a superb pass from Stu Goodacre found Jonny Reid, who made ground before crossing for Harry Gaunt to open the score.

Gerrards Cross went 2-1 up soon after the break and Bicester gambled by taking off keeper Peter Bowen, who had been outstanding, to give themselves a man advantage.

But it did not pay off as the home side scored twice in the last few minutes to wrap up the points.

OTHER RESULTS.

Ashford (Middx) 0, Oxford Hawks 2nd 3 (D Blackburn 2, D McNee); Oxford Hawks 3rd 2, Marlow 2nd 2; Oxford Hawks Falcons 7 (G Roper 4, P Curtis, J Kaluza, I Sobey), Havant Cavaliers 1; Witney 2nd 4 (S Summers, J Easterbrook, T Yallop, D Hulme), Phoenix & Ran 2nd 0; Henley 4th 0, Witney 3rd 4 (N Vigar 2, H Collins, A Birnie); Witney 4th 5 (B Carroll 2, P Button, R Dyer, B Moss), Harrow 2nd 0; Oxford 3rd 1 (A Cock), W Hampstead 2nd 4; Oxford 6th 1 (A Chaudray), Oxford 7th 4 (J Flather, J Williams, A Bowen, I Horner); Oxford Hawks U14 1 (H Venables), Banbury 2.