LUKE Smith scored a hat-trick as Bicester trounced visiting Wycombe 2nd 6-1 to maintain their promotion bid in South League Middlesex Berks, Bu-cks & Oxon Division 1 on Saturday.
CJ Birtles fired home from a short corner to give Bicester an early lead, but Wycombe equalised through their skipper Robbie Leung.
Smith made it 2-0 after good work from Dave Sutcliffe, who then got into the act to make it 3-1 at half-time.
Bicester sealed the result when Jonny Reid’s scuffed shot put them 4-1 in front.
Smith then added his second from a short-corner move, and his third in the final minute came after more smart work from Sutcliffe.
Bicester are now third with two games in hand on leaders British Airways.
Oxford Hawks reckoned the scoreline in their 3-0 defeat away to third-placed Havant in Premier Division 1 did them few favours.
The visitors had much of the play, but could not match Havant’s more clinical finishing.
Havant opened the scoring against the run of play, when Chris Lim was penalised for knocking the ball away in the 25 and the resulting short corner was duly dispatched.
The hosts made it 2-0 at the break from their second short corner.
The second half followed the same pattern as the first, Hawks played possession hockey for ten minutes.
A great through ball from Dan Rhodes was met by Matt Wood on the penalty spot.
A Havant last-ditch tackle appeared to take the stick, but the umpire deemed it was a fair one.
However, it was Havant who sealed the result with their third goal which came from open play.
Will Phillips scored the only goal as Oxford Hawks 2nd won 1-0 at home to Eastcote in Regional 1.
Witney’s much-changed side were unable to recover after a disastrous first half and lost 5-1 at Phoenix & Ranelagh in Regional 2.
At half-time, the visitors trailed 4-0 and looked in for a real hammering But they picked up their spirits in the second half and pulled a goal back when Andy Gosnell scored a drag flick from a short corner Phoenix added a fifth goal, and Witney’s bad day was complete when Tim Hardy was sent off for dissent.
Other men’s results: Oxford Hawks 3rd 2 (C Burnage, J Clark), Aylesbury 3rd 2; Oxford Hawks 4th 5 (S Dawson 4, B Morrison), Aylesbury 2nd 0; Oxford Hawks 5th 4 (J Blenkinsop 2, E Baldock, N Sutton), West Hampstead 5th 3; Oxford Hawks 6th 3 (C Orme, K Patel, A Spittles), OMT 4th 0; Oxford Hawks 7th 0, Wycombe 5th 6; Oxford Hawks Falcons 6 (R Warner 2, J Kaluza, S Griffiths, G Roper, P Dunnill), Epsom Vagabonds 1; Witney 2nd 1 (P Allen), Phoenix & Ranelagh 2nd 2; Witney 3rd 2 (J Taylor 2), Ramgharia 6; Leighton Buzzard 2nd 1, Bicester 2nd 2 (C Tarrat, W Hartley); Bicester 3rd 1 (N Styles), Tring 2nd 5.
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