OXFORD Hawks made it a winning start for new coach Kieran Roche when they beat bottom club Purley Walcountians 1-0 in Saturday’s South League Premier 1 contest at Banbury Road North.

Roche, who has taken over the reins from Danny Newcombe, saw a dour contest in which neither side gained ascendancy.

Hawks had a great chance to take the lead after five minutes, but Chris Hardy kicked the ball when clear.

Hawks had the better chances in the first half, while Purley never tested home keeper Phil Hargraves.

After Ben Wilson shot a good chance into the side-netting, Hawks scored the only goal of the game.

From a short corner, Jack Biggs fired a shot in at chest height. A defender on the line swept the ball to square leg hitting the umpire, who was just standing inside the base-line.

The alert Kit Cutter picked up the deflection off the umpire and pushed the ball into the goal.

Within five minutes, Hargraves was deemed to have tripped a Purley attacker, but the resulting penalty flick was pulled wide, much to Hawks and Roche’s relief.

Oxford Hawks 2nd made it good day for the club with a 2-0 victory away to derby rivals Oxford in Regional 1, thanks to goals from Mark Crowley and Ben Roe.

Witney members swept snow off the pitch before their Regional 2 match at home to Aylesbury. But their industry was not rewarded as the club went down to a 3-1 defeat.

The hosts came quickly out of their blocks and some solid passing from the midfield fed the new-look strike force of Tim Hardy, Justin Churchill and Jacob Deacon.

After ten minutes, Deacon gave Witney the lead with a shot into the bottom corner.

The lead was short-lived as Aylesbury scored two quick deflected goals to go a 2-1 ahead.

Witney enjoyed much of the play in the second half, but could not find the net, and the visitors sealed the game with a late breakaway goal.

Other men’s results

Oxford Hawks 3rd 1 (C Burnage), Newbury & Thatcham 1; Oxford Hawks 4th 2 (S Dawson, R Manson), Eastcote 3rd 0; Oxford Hawks 5th 2, Harrow 1; Oxford Hawks 6th 1 (C Darby), Eastcote 5th 3; Oxford Hawks 7th 1, Reading Rov 3; Oxford Hawks Falcons 4 (R Warner 2, T Brothers, D Hughes).