OXFORD suffered their first defeat of the season, but battled hard before going down 20-6 to Workington in Kingston Press League 1 at Tilsley Park on Sunday.

Workington are one of the established names in rugby league but Oxford were not overawed and it was only in the second half that the northerners moved ahead in the first contest between the clubs.

The Blues were level 6-6 at half-time thanks to a sixth-minute try in the corner from Curtis Macdonald, following a set-up run by Josh Atkinson. Harvey Burnett added the conversion.

Ed Chamberlain’s try, converted by Carl Forber, levelled things up at the break.

In the second half, Jack Higginson and Joe Hambley added to the visitors try-tally while Forber landed three more goals to complete the scoring.

Following a last-minute flare-up, Workington’s Macauley Davies and Oxford’s Jack Pickles were sent to the sinbin by the referee, who had made several disputed decisions during the match.

Oxford: Riley, Hoggins, Macdonald, Burnett, Atkinson, Windley, Fleming, Joynt, Canterbury, Biscomb, Foster, Cooke, Pickles.