OXFORD Hawks were unable to hang on to a first-half lead as they lost 3-1 at home to Oxford University in their opening Men’s South League Premier Division 1 encounter.

Hawks started strongly in this Town v Gown clash and took the lead when new signing Andy Watts deceived the Blues keeper.

Despite dictating the play, the hosts could not build on their advantage.

The students, sensing that the game was not beyond them, began to assert themselves, and equalised when Tom Claughton scored from a penalty corner, before a late brace from Nick Leach secured their victory.

Sean Cox scored a hat-trick as Oxford got off to a winning start with a 7-0 rout of hosts Wallingford in Regional Division 1, all the goals coming in the second half.

Home keeper Guy Harrop’s heroics kept the scoresheet blank in the first half, but the floodgates opened afterwards, with strikes from Cox (3), James Rayward (2), Chris Sewell and Joe Malthouse.

Bicester secured their first points in Middlesex, Berks, Bucks & Oxon Division 1, with a 4-4 draw at Wycombe 2nd.

But they were disappointed after letting slip a 3-1 lead and then conceding a goal in the last play of the game.

Goals from Jonny Reid and Dave Sutcliffe (2) appeared to have put Bicester in charge, but they conceded two goals in five minutes during the second half.

They appeared to have snatched the points, when Ollie Hartley scored five minutes from time, but they conceded a short-corner goal deep into injury time.

OTHER RESULTS

Men: Oxford Hawks 2nd 3 (M Janes 2, J Taylor), Maidenhead 1; Oxford Hawks 3rd 1(L Piper), West Hampstead 2nd 4; Oxford Hawks 4th 2 (A Bull, R Lorrimar), Windsor 1; Oxford 2nd 2 (S Wurstow, A Neville), Sonning 2; Oxford 3rd 6 (A Wynd 4, H Tasker, M Oakes), Oxford 4th 2 (R Lawrence, J Ishikawa); Oxford 5th 1 (D Bedt), Gerrards Cross 2nd 1; Oxford Hawks 6th 2 (G Guillian, S Dawson), Oxford 6th 2 (M Bramall); Oxford Hawks Falcons 2 (D Hughes, S Griffiths) Epsom Vagabonds 1; Oxford 7th 2 (G Curran, S Siriwardene), Eastcote 5th 2; Oxford 8th 6 (M Neville 3, A Bowen, T Christophers), Oxford 9th 2 (S Vadivale, J Powell); Witney 3rd 4 (P Easterbrook, H Morgan, N August, T Brown), Leighton Buzzard 4th 3.

Boys: Oxford Hawks U16 2 (F Smith 2), Wycombe 0.