Oxfordshire Shield final

Bicester 17, Wallingford 10

Bicester upset the formbook to record a deserved victory in a match their pack controlled from start to finish at Iffley Road.

Champions Wallingford have won every BB&O Premier Division this season, beating Bicester twice, and were clear favourites to defend the Shield.

But such was Bicester's work rate that they denied Wallingford any real quality possession and were still attacking deep into stoppage time, which lasted a bizarre 15 minutes.

All three Bicester tries came from set-piece moves, while Wallingford's solitary score, from centre Johnny Collett, involved a big slice of luck.

Bicester were playing into the wind in the first half, but you wouldn't have known it from the possession and territory they achieved.

The only problem was their lack of points, and when Wallingford fly half Simon Yapp slotted a huge penalty just before the break, Bicester could have let their heads drop.

Full back Chad Ward and flanker Dan Spencer were Bicester's most likely attacking threats, but too many handling errors let them down.

They should have scored on 15 minutes when Ward broke through and exchanged passes with fly half Ross Kenny, but he knocked on from the return ball.

Wallingford struggled to bring their pacy backs into the game with winger Nick Risk particularly well marked by Bicester's Dickie Walsh.

Ward missed a long-range penalty and opted against a much easier kick for goal on 36 minutes.

Wallingford came back into it as the half wore on, but No 8 Pete Thorns knocked on their best chance.

Bicester stepped up a gear after the break and took the lead following a close-range lineout on 44 minutes.

Dan Spencer still had a lot to do when the ball came to him, but he showed great footwork to jink his way over.

Wallingford looked set to go 6-5 up when full back Henry Venners stood over a simple penalty.

His woeful kick cannoned off a post, but his blushes were spared when the ball rebounded to Collett, who reacted first to squeeze over.

Yapp slotted the conversion from out wide before limping off injured.

The game hung in the balance until Bicester struck again on 73 minutes.

Another fine rolling maul ended with replacement Christian Wright touching down and Ward converting.

Wallingford passed up a very kickable penalty four minutes later and that proved their last chance.

Bicester ended the match as they had begun it - on top.

Try No 3 was a pushover effort for No 8 Rob Thurlow and few could argue Bicester didn't deserve it.

Wallingford: Venners, Risk, Collett, Lloyd, Simons, Yapp (Bird 58), Viljoen (Turner 46) E Jenkins, Hill, Young, Blaszko (capt), McKenna, Matt Chapman, Holton, Thorns (Bailey 78).

Bicester: Ward, Edgar, A Spencer, Coogan, Walsh, R Kenny, Risbridger (capt) (Smith 78), Shaw (Brogan 64), Davies, Evans, Shouler (Wright 26), Malins, D Spencer, Nightingale, Thurlow.

Man-of-the-match: D Spencer.