NORTH Oxford kept their cool to clinch a shoot-out at Halton which keeps them in pole position to reach the national team tennis finals.

Cameron Price and Ben Calnan won their singles after the match had finished level at 6-6.

The slender victory kept them one point clear in the South West section in the National Open Men.

They now have a tense finale at home to second-placed West Hants on June 23, where victory would clinch the title.

They had to do it the hard way, with the hosts taking the opening two singles matches against Price and Jon Maskens.

But the visitors hit back in style.

Calnan dropped just one game in his straight sets victory over Oliver McCay-Brown.

Joe Cartledge’s meeting with Christian Colvin was almost as emphatic, levelling the scores with a 6-2, 6-0 success.

The two doubles matches were shared, with Cartledge and Maskens teaming up to win their clash 6-2, 6-0.

That left the overall scores level.

North Oxford have already won a shoot-out this season and rose to the occasion again.

Price and Calnan emerged victorious to make the difference and keep their side in control of the division.