Witney 24, Bicester 10

Witney fought off a determined challenge from Bicester to maintain their Southern Counties North promotion bid with a hard-earned victory at Hailey Road on Saturday.

The forward battle was evenly contested, but the home side's greater precision and pace behind the scrum eventually won the day.

At the start, it looked as though Witney, who beat Bicester on their own ground earlier this season, would ease to another big win.

They opened the scoring after only two minutes when pouncing on a loose kick, and centres Will Greenwood and Chris Murray put flanker Will Worrall over in the corner.

Young fly half Ollie Smith converted brilliantly from the touchline.

Bicester, with Darren Cassidy and No 8 Martin Linstrom to the fore, rallied and had plenty of pressure in the first half. But their only reward was a penalty from Chad Ward.

Leading only 7-3 at the break, Witney were by no means sure of victory, especially when Smith missed a penalty from in front of the posts.

There followed an almighty free-for-all off the ball. After this malarky, referee Terry Mallarkey spoke to both captains, but issued no cards.

Smith this time landed the resultant penalty and then weaved over for a close-range try following a period of intense pressure. Smith's conversion made it 17-3.

However, the fly half showed his inexperience with a wayward pass, and from the ensuing counter attack, Bicester hooker Cassidy took Dave Brogan's pass to power over for a try.

With the impressive Ward adding the conversion, lowly Bicester still had a chance to rescue a valuable point.

But the introduction of replacement hooker Matt Gorfin tightened up Witney's forward play.

And when a desperate Bicester attack broke down, home winger James Lamb picked up the loose ball and raced over for the try which settled it, Smith adding the conversion.

Despite ten minutes of added time, Bicester, who were well served by Mark Malins in both the line-out and the loose, could not reduce the deficit.

Witney: Hollick (capt), J Lamb, Murray, Greenwood, H Lamb, Smith, M Jackson, Dore, Hickman (Gorfin 47), Serle, J Williams, J Hicks, Muller, Worrall, Williams.

Bicester: Ward (capt), Budde, Lewis, du Toit, Morris, Kenny, S Cassidy (Clayton 79), Brogan, D Cassidy, Evans (Thurlow 58), Malins, Wright, Nightingale, Ingham (Hicks 63), Lindstrom.

Referee: T Mallarkey (Oxon).