Vikings A, led again by in-form Gareth Hayward, beat Forum C 7-3 for their fourth win out of four this season.

That elevates them to second place in Oxford & District League Division 1.

Forum A had a comfortable 10-0 victory over Vikings C.

In Division 2, both Vikings sides did all they could to protect their exalted positions at the top by both winning 9-1.

Vikings D beat Witney A, with maximums for Julian Lawton Smith and Bill Mason, while Vikings E beat Gladiators B, with maximums for Eamonn Deeley and Paul Borrowdale.

Paul Humphrey, well supported by Janet Brown and Ian Gordon, beat Bicester B 8-2 to put themselves into third.

Forum E beat two-man Gladiators A 10-0. Three matches went to the wire, but the gods weren’t smiling on Gladiators.

RESULTS Div 1: Forum C 3, Vikings A 7 (G Hayward 3); Vikings C 0, Forum A 10 (A Flint 3, J Flint 3, C Campbell 3).

Div 2: Vikings E 9 (E Deeley 3, P Borrowdale 3), Gladiators B 1; Forum E 10 (T Bowden 3, N Langley 3, L Lonie 3), Gladiators A 0; Bicester B 2, Begbroke 8 (P Humphrey 3); Gladiators A 0, Bicester B 10 (w/o); Vikings D 9 (J Lawton Smith 3, B Mason 3), Witney A 1.

Div 3: Forum G 4, Bicester C 6; Vikings G 0, Haddenham A 10 (J Cripps 3, C Kun-schie 3, M Burr 3); Bicester C 7 (D Badham 3), Vikings F 3; Gladiators C 5, Vikings F 5; Vikings F 7 (T Kiat Teo 3), Forum H 3.

Div 4: Nielsens 6, Holton 4 (B Dobson 3); Witney B 9 (T Morris 3, J Allsworth 3), St James 1; Forum K 9 (S Price 3, J Stott 3), Vikings H 1; Forum J 5 (P Juiwong 3), Bicester D 5; Forum I 9 (C Patterson 3, J Benford 3), Vikings H 1.