OXFORD Hawks’ excellent season finished on a low note as they went down 2-0 at Fareham.

The hosts, who needed to win to be certain of a play-off place for the new EHL Division One next season, struck twice in the second half.

The defeat saw Hawks fall one place to third at the end of their return to the Men’s Conference West.

It was also likely to be the last game for goalkeeper Chris Price, who is considering retiring.

Their 2nd team signed off with a 5-0 thrashing of visitors Wallingford.

Sam Chilvers, Finn Dunleavy, Ian Gurden, Matthew Knox and Sam Windsor-Lewis were on target, but they fell just short of promotion, finishing fourth in MBBO Regional Division 1.

Oxford OBU are guaranteed a top-two finish and with matches still to play they could still win the title.

They came from behind to win 5-3 at Reading 3rd, thanks to goals from Matt McKeown, Si Culmer, Felix Munn, Charlie Griffiths and Dan Bleach.

Mid-table Witney’s penultimate fixture was a 2-0 defeat at Amersham & Chalfont.

A 5-0 defeat at Swansea City finished a miserable campaign for winless Oxford Hawks, who finished bottom in the Investec Women’s Conference West.

Keeper Jess Hughes was kept busy before succumbing to a back injury and was replaced by Evelyn Hargraves after ten minutes.

She could do little about the heavy defeat, but despite the difficult season Hawks will continue to play National League hockey next year due to a major restructuring of the divisions.

Oxford’s strong late-season form continued as they signed off with a victory at home to Havant.

Georgia Verdon fired in the only goal of the game off the post to lift the side into eighth of the 11-team South League Division 2 table.

Wallingford were unable to finish their Trysports Three Counties League Premier 1 campaign with a fourth straight win, losing 1-0 at Marlow 2nd.

OTHER RESULTS

Men: Oxford Hawks 3rd 6 (F Smith 4, C Hill, J Rogers), Henley 2nd; Oxford Hawks 4th 3 (M Oakes 2, H Fuller), Windsor 6; Oxford Hawks 7th 5 (C Darby 2, C Royer 2, A Graham), Witney 3rd 0; Oxford Hawks Falcons 2 (D White, S Griffiths), Southampton Cockburns 0; Oxford 2nd 5 (B Brearey 3, S Lyddon, A Halls), West Hampstead 2nd 4; Phoenix & Ranelagh 2nd 4, Oxford 5th 0; Oxford 7th 1 (R Dyer), Leighton Buzzard 3rd 5; Witney 3rd 6, Oxford 8th 1; Oxford 9th 3 (S Allen 2, M Tappin), Milton Keynes 6th 1; Marlow 3rd 3, Wallingford 2nd 5 (J Zamler 2, H Capon, E Jenkin, B White); Ramgarhia 2nd 0, Wallingford 3rd 3 (N Henry, S Hudson, M Knaapen); Wallingford 4th 5, Phoenix & Ranelagh 3rd 1; Sonning 6th 2, Wallingford 5th 8.

Ladies: Southgate 2nd 3, Oxford Hawks 2nd 3 (C Werlinger, A Brant); Newbury & Thatcham 1, Oxford Hawks 3rd 0; Milton Keynes 2nd 4, Oxford Hawks 4th 2 (G Croker, Z Lamb); Oxford Hawks 5th 4 (S Butler 4), Wallingford 3rd 0; Oxford Hawks 6th 2 (L Hiner, A Laird), Witney 3rd 2 (G Noton 2); Wycombe 5th 2, Oxford Hawks 7th 2 (L Neal 2); Oxford 2nd 1 (S Hubbard), Slough 2nd 1; Sonning 2nd 2, Oxford 3rd 4 (K Litchfield, S Fenton, C Boyd, K Ormiston); Oxford 5th 0, Banbury 3rd 5; Windsor 4th 2, Oxford 6th 0; Oxford 7th 3 (L Jeffers, M Knox, P Parr), Bicester 5th 0; Witney 1 (M Hartwell), Basingstoke 2; Witney 2nd 1 (K Scott), Aylesbury 3; Reading Riots 2, Wallingford 2nd 4 (F Rose 3, L May); Oxford Hawks 5th 4, Wallingford 3rd 0; Wallingford 4th 3 (N Bennett 2, E Seymour), Thame 3rd 2.