OXFORD Saints were unable to hang on to a healthy lead as they lost 25-13 to Solent Thrashers in Southern Conference Division 1.

Saints, beaten 29-17 by Solent when the teams met in the season’s opener, took a shock 13-0 advantage just before half-time

But the hosts upped their game to record a comfortable victory to leave the visitors still looking for their first win.

The early stages were fiercely contested. With running backs Shaun Griffin and newcomer Isa Mohammed shining, Saints picked up a first down from a grab by Jason Williams.

Unable to reach the endzone, they attempted a

39-yard field goal, but Sam Fielden’s kick fell short.

However, it was not long before they took the lead when veteran playmaker Sam Armstrong scored on a reverse play, running the ball in from 12 yards out. Fielden added the extra point.

Near the end of the half, it got even better for Saints.

Quarterback Tony Glover, having taken play to within two yards of the home endzone, kept the ball to himself and ran it up the middle for the score.

Fielden attempted the extra point kick, but the ball was batted down and scooped up by Solent’s Hassan Mugambwa as he took off towards the opposite endzone

Despite a valiant attempt from Williams to pursue him, Mugambwa returned the ball for a two-pointer.

With Oxford kicking the ball to the Thrashers following that score, they struggled to bring down the speedy Dayle Greenfield, who returned the ball 72 yards, giving Solent a touchdown.

Matt Hewlett added the extra point to make it 13-9 at half-time.

Solent were fired up early in the second half and cut the deficit to a point with a field goal.

Later Solent went ahead for the first time when Greenfield escaped up the sideline for the touchdown. Hewlett added the extra point.

In the final quarter, Oxford put quarterback James Sharples into the mix, but his pass was intercepted by Solent’s Alistair Hugo, who returned it 41 yards for a defensive touchdown to complete the scoring.