UNIPART Oxford Saints lost their final South West Conference match 19-6 to PA Knights at Farnham - but have still qualified for the BAFA Senior League Division 1 quarter-final play-offs.

Saints thought the defeat meant their season was over, but now they have been told they are through on a technicality for an away trip to title favourites London Olympians on Sunday.

Gordon Cutting, Saints' game day manager and press secretary, said that they expected to finish behind Nottingham Caesars in the rankings on points difference.

However, he explained that Nottingham weren't able to rearrange their two Midlands games against Birmingham Bulls which had been washed out earlier in the season, and the two clubs had agreed to share the games.

That gave Nottingham a record of five wins and five defeats - the same as Saints.

But as Saints had played ten games to Nottingham's eight they were placed above the East Midlands outfit as the eighth-ranked team in the country.

Now Saints face the daunting task of visiting London Olympians.

Cutting said: "It is going to be an uphill battle, but we are going to give it our all. We have sprung a surprise or two in our time."

However, Saints will have to step up on their performance against PA Knights when their only points came from a rushing touchdown by Tony Porter.

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