Kidlington’s Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division title hopes suffered a severe blow when they were thrashed 6-0 by third-placed Slimbridge on Saturday.

Gordon Geary’s makeshift side would have gone top of the table if they had avoided defeat.

But they capitulated under the pressure from the home side’s long-ball game.

It seemed Kidlington were still in the changing rooms when Slimbridge took the lead in the fourth minute from unmarked Marvin Roberts’s powerful header.

On a uneven boggy pitch, Slimbridge doubled their lead in the 44th minute, when Roberts headed home Micky Bryant’s cross.

Kidlington looked like pulling a goal back, but Tom Franklin’s goalbound header was acrobatically cleared off the line.

The result was settled early in the second half when Bryant made it 3-0, hitting home the rebound following a stunning save from Kidlington keeper Tom McNamara.

Slimbridge went for the jugular, scoring twice in two minutes through Danny Chandler and substitute Danny Carter.

Kidlington’s heads drop after this.

New signing Ryan Curtin came on for his debut, but the damage was done.

To rub salt into Kiddlington’s wounds skipper Danny Leggett was adjudged to have fouled Tom Speers in the area in the 87th minute.

Tom Cole took the spot-kick and slotted it away, sending McNamara the wrong way.

Headington Amateurs re-covered from an early shock to beat Bicester 3-1 and go ten points clear at the top of Division 1 West.

Bicester took a tenth-minute lead when Adam Lovegrove ran clear, with the home defence appealing in vain for offside, and sent a low shot past Harry Jenkins The leaders responded with two goals in four minutes.

First Klaus Buckle volleyed in Luke Cuff’s driven corner kick.

Then Ollie Zaja gave Headington the lead with another volley, Luke Cuff again the provider .

Bicester keeper Jeff Simmonds pulled off a string of fine saves, foiling Liam Morbey, Cuff and Aaron Williams in turn.

When he was eventually beaten by Jamie McCuaig’s deft chip just before half-time, the ball was hacked away by a defender, despite claims that it had crossed the line.

In the second half, a shot from Bicester’s Craig Pitson grazed the bar, before Headington were foiled by the woodwork, Williams seeing his shot come back off a post.

Headington sealed the result when Jenkins launched a 70-yard ball that Cuff brought down before finding McCuaig, who scored at the second attempt.