OXFORD Hawks got off the mark – but they will be kicking themselves for only getting a point at Canterbury.
The England Hockey Men’s Division One South basement side were on course for a first win.
Having fallen behind they hit the post either side of half-time through Ted Bennett and Rob Dunnill.
But their pressure told on 42 minutes, when Jack Biggs fired home from a penalty corner.
With 12 minutes remaining Kit Cutter set up Bennett to put Hawks ahead, but they could not hang on.
Canterbury made it 2-2 from a penalty corner three minutes from time to keep Hawks at the foot of the table.
Henry Vallis bagged a hat-trick to stretch Oxford OBU’s winning start in the Premier Division 2 West of the South League to four matches.
Zum Akhter also scored in the 4-0 win at Richmond 2nd to preserve their two-point lead at the top.
Ben Kirk and James Youngman’s trebles saw Witney register their first points in real style with a 7-1 triumph.
Kirk’s opener was cancelled out by visitors Eastcote, who went in level at the break during the MBBO Regional 1 clash.
The second half was one-way traffic, with Youngman scoring two drag flicks and a penalty stroke after Ryan Fitzjohn was fouled.
Kirk completed his hat-trick, while Harry Harbage completed the scoring.
Oxford Hawks were twice pegged back as they were held to a 2-2 draw at Exe in the Investec Women’s Conference West.
Despite missing skipper Becky Hibbert to concussion from the previous game, the visitors started well in Devon.
They took the lead with a well-worked counter-attack which was finished by Emily Smith.
Exe levelled with a penalty flick after Becca Edwards was adjudged to have fouled.
But Hawks bounced straight back, with Smith scoring virtually a carbon copy of her first goal.
Again Exe equalised, although in controversial fashion as the umpires missed the ball hitting a leg in the build-up.
Witney’s strong start to the South League Division 1 campaign continued with a 2-1 home win against London Wayfarers.
Hayley Dobson and Lucy Reading got their goals, to stay within two points of top spot.
Oxford were knocked off top spot in Division 2 as they were held to a 1-1 draw by visitors Woking.
Charlie White put them ahead in the second half, but they could not hang on to the lead and were leapfrogged by Eastbourne.
CLUB RESULTS
MEN
Oxford Hawks 2nd 4 (J Lawton-Smith 2, H Taylor, S Greenbank), Oxford University 2nd 0; Sonning 5, Oxford Hawks 3rd 1 (C Pittaway); Amersham & Chalfont 2nd 4, Oxford Hawks 4th 0; Sonning 3rd 3, Oxford Hawks 5th 4 (A Laird 2, C Royer, A Sutcliffe); Reading University Knights 5th 7, Oxford Hawks 6th 3 (J Nugent 3); Oxford Hawks 7th 4, Abingdon 1; Oxford 2nd 2 (H Currie, J Vogel), Reading 4th 2; Oxford 3rd 4 (J Campbell 2, S Lyddon, A Bruce-Gardyne), West Hampstead 3rd 3; Ealing 2, Oxford 4th 1 (W Ash); Wallingford 3rd 2 (N Henry 2), Oxford 5th 3 (O Martin 2, S Champion); Oxford 6th 4 (A Neville, S Copping, T Christophers, A Ahmed), Newbury & Thatcham 4th 3; Witney 3rd 5 (R Morgan, E Easterbrook, A Taylor, J Easterbrook, N August), Oxford 7th 4 (A Hamid 3, D Heycock); Oxford 8th 5 (J Federson 3, E Bennett, M Bignone), Phoenix & Ranelagh 3rd 2; Thame 3rd 6, Oxford 9th 0; Witney 2nd 2 (J Deacon, C Summers), Eastcote 4th 0; Banbury 2nd 2, Wallingford 1 (S Windsor-Lewis); Wallingford 2nd 2 (E Jenkin, M Knaapen), Windsor 4; Amersham & Chalfont 4th 4, Wallingford 4th 1; Wallingford 5th 1, Sonning 5th 1.
LADIES
PHC Chiswick 3, Oxford Hawks 2nd 2 (H McAll, R Minihan); Oxford Hawks 3rd 1 (V Sauven), Banbury 7; Oxford Hawks 4th 4 (K Williams 2, R Black, M Murphy), Witney 2nd 2; Oxford Hawks 5th 1 (S Butler), Marlow 4th 1; Thame 2nd 6, Oxford Hawks 6th 1 (B Hiner); Newbury & Thatcham 4th 1, Oxford Hawks 7th 0; Oxford 2nd 3 (C Boyd, C Ranson, E Wragg), Aylesbury 0; Oxford 3rd 4 (C Manning, L Farrell, K Smith 2), Wycombe 2nd 2; Abingdon 1, Oxford 4th 1 (E Forsyth); Maidenhead 4th 3, Oxford 5th 1 (A Darnell); Oxford 6th 1 (J McIntosh), Amersham & Chalfont 5th 2; Thame 4th 0, Oxford 8th 1 (L Jeffers); Witney 3rd 1 (J Jordan-Goodman), Phoenix & Ranelagh 10; Wallingford 0, Newbury & Thatcham 3; Sonning 2nd 2, Wallingford 2nd 2 (L Allen, C Barber); Wallingford 3rd 2 (A Lissenden, A Bennett), Sonning 3rd 1; Wallingford 4th 5 (K Whitfield 2, C Eatwell, C Tyler, V Bennett), Thame 3rd 0; Wycombe 6th 1, Wallingford 5th 1; Oxford U12 1, Oxford Hawks U12 A 6.
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