Banbury returned to winning ways in Premier Division 2 with an astonishing 9-4 victory at third-placed Staines.

The match started badly for the visitors as two short corners were well converted by Staines’ top scorer Richard Cardigan to give the hosts a 2-0 head start.

This spurred Banbury into life and Australian Andy Philpott smashed in a rebound at a short corner.

Dave Clark then equalised, finishing clinically from a tight angle and before half-time, Clark maintained his 100 per cent penalty record, following a cynical challenge in the D on Adrian Simons.

In the second half, it became end-to-end before Banbury ran away with it.

Simon Boardman and Will Powell scored, and then Philpott ran riot through the Staines defence.

He exchanged passes with Simons for his second goal, got a third from a rebound and then hit a sublime fourth, beating two men and firing home an unstoppable shot.

Adam Jordan notched a brace, and Alex Evans one, in improving Oxford University’s 3-2 win over second-placed London Wayfarers.

Premier Division 2 leaders Oxford Hawks fell to only their second defeat as they lost 3-2 at Eastbourne.

A breakaway goal earned Eastbourne a one-goal half-time lead.

Hawks struggled to move the ball on a slow pitch and Eastbourne stretched their lead to 3-0 from two short corners.

This was new territory for Hawks, but with 15 minutes to go, Freddie Coppin pulled one back, and then Charlie Ellison found the corner of the goal from a short corner.

In the last minute, Hawks had a chance to level after being awarded another short corner, but they couldn’t convert.

Joe Brownhill and Alex Wynd both hit doubles, with Mark Carpenter getting the other goal, in Rover Oxford’s 5-1 win at Oxford Hawks 2nd in the Regional division. Mark Crowley scored for Hawks.

Two goals from Alfred Cary were not enough for Wallingford as they slipped to a 4-2 defeat at Eastcote.

But Wallingford did pick up a point on Sunday, with a 1-1 draw at Sonning, Cary once again on the scoresheet.

In Regional 2, City of Oxford, missing players, were delighted to draw 3-3 with Bracknell after trailing 3-1.

Bracknell led 2-0 before Keith Simpson pulled one back from a short corner.

In the first minute of the second half, it looked like curtains for City as Bracknell went 3-1 up.

But youngster Lee Sheldon, on his debut, got a second goal, and Andy Small equalised.

Matt Hogben in goal also made two good saves late on.

Rich Hughes, Matt Oakes and Ben White scored in Rover Oxford 2nd’s 4-3 defeat at home to Amersham.

Witney clawed their way to the top of Division 1 with a 0-0 draw against title rivals Milton Keynes 2nd on Saturday, followed by an even harder-fought 1-0 win away to Eastcote 3rd on Sunday.

There were just ten minutes left against Eastcote when they broke through, Ben Wells capping off a rapid counter-attack with a fine finish.

Witney notched up back-to-back clean sheets for the first time in recent memory.

Table-topping Bicester crashed to a shock 2-1 defeat against bottom club Rover Oxford 3rd in Division 2.

Harry Gaunt struck first for Bicester.

However, Huw Tasker hit a brace for Rover, while excellent keeping by Tom Chapel, ably assisted by defenders Mark Banting and Paul Wilson, kept Bicester at bay.

Bicester also played on Sunday, drawing 1-1 at Sonning 2nd, with Ian Oak on target.