A BRACE from Sean Cox helped Oxford OBU to a dramatic win at Southgate 2nd to stay just a point off the top.
The visitors trailed 3-1 with 15 minutes left, but hit back to win 4-3 as Charlie Griffiths and Richie Heywood also hit the target.
Witney claimed one of their best results of the MBBO Regional 1 season by shooting down second-place Amersham & Chalfont 4-3.
The visitors had lost just once this season, but the home side, buoyed by the win at Newbury a week earlier, started brightly.
The early pressure paid off when Dan Wallis converted their first short corner.
They doubled the advantage with a fine move which was finished when Jacob Deacon picked out Ollie Hartley to deflect the ball past the goalkeeper.
Tim Chilvers made it 3-0 by half-time as another short corner routine paid off.
But Amersham came out strongly in the second half, scoring two quick goals.
The visitors were caught out though when they stopped waiting for a whistle that never came, allowing Witney to break and score through Hartley.
It proved the winner, despite Amersham’s late effort.
Oxford Ladies survived a fright as they returned from the winter break.
The South League Division 2 leaders were up against struggling Brighton and Hove, but were pushed all the way.
Oxford twice came from behind before winning 3-2 thanks to Millie Berndes-Cade (2) and Kim Warman.
Oxford Hawks lost 4-3 at Wimbledon 2nd in their final warm-up match before the second half of their season resumes this weekend.
Catherine Reaney equalised after the hosts opened the scoring, before the visitors went ahead via an outstanding solo effort from Hie Sawyer.
Caro Harris scored after the break, but Wimbledon proved too strong.
LATEST RESULTS
MEN
Birmingham University 2, Oxford Hawks 3 (E Tristram 2, M Wood); Oxford Hawks 2nd 4 (T Claughton 3, B Marshall), Aylesbury 2; Wycombe 2nd 3, Oxford Hawks 3rd 1; Oxford Hawks 6th 4 (J Nugent 2, O Kemp, E Watson), Sonning 4th 3; Oxford Hawks 7th, South Berkshire Terriers 2; Milton Keynes 2nd 2, Oxford 2nd 3 (O Hughes, F Munn, J Vogel); Oxford 3rd 4 (C Abraham, J Campbell, S Lyddon, B Richards), Windsor 3; OMT 3rd 2, Oxford 4th 4 (D Mcarthur 2, J Powell, J Rawal); Windsor 2nd 1, Oxford 5th 1 (O Martin); Oxford 6th 2 (A Neville, L Cadman), Thame 2nd 1; Oxford 7th 1 (A Hamid), Oxford 8th 5 (J Federson 2, R McLusky, P Henderson, E Barrett); Wallingford 5th 5 (K Shaw 2, J Rees 2, O Hodgson), Oxford 9th 2 (M Tappin 2); Witney 2nd 2 (J Peel, C Coombs), Ealing 1; Witney 3rd 1 (P Easterbrook), Henley 5th 4; Sonning 4, Wallingford 0; Wallingford 2nd 2 (B White 2), Oxford Hawks 4th 0; Gerrards Cross 2nd 2, Wallingford 4th 1; Oxford Hawks Falcons 2 (R Warner, P Scragg), Woking Pitts 1; Team Bennett (Oxford Hawks U10) 0, Oxford U10 5; Thame U10 0, Team Chapman (Oxford Hawks U10 A) 4.
WOMEN
Oxford Hawks 2nd 2 (R Minihan, J Palethorpe), Eastbourne 1; Amersham & Chalfont 2nd 1, Oxford Hawks 3rd 3 (H McCall 2, K Meadows); Milton Keynes 2nd 1, Oxford Hawks 5th 0; Oxford Hawks 6th 2 (M Grinham, L Hiner), Windsor 2nd 1; Thame 3rd 6, Oxford Hawks 7th 0; Oxford 2nd 1 (C Jackson), Wallingford 2 (E McCluskey, K Young); Oxford Hawks 4th 0, Oxford 3rd 2 (S Williams, C Manning); Oxford 4th 0, Newbury & Thatcham 2nd 0; Oxford 5th 2 (S Livingstone, M Howe), South Berkshire 3rd 0; Oxford 6th 0, Phoenix & Ranelagh 3rd 2; Oxford 7th 6 (M Knox 2, A Charania, A Llewellyn, D Parry, E Allen), Abingdon Pilgrims 0; Marlow 6th 3, Oxford 8th 2 (M Minford, A King); Surbiton 3rd 4, Witney 2 (S Lapper 2); Witney 2nd 1 (K Fowler), Reading Rockets 2; Witney 3rd 2 (L Ashcroft, G Noton), Wycombe 3rd 3; Wallingford 2nd 2 (H Merryweather 2), South Berkshire 2nd 2; Bicester 4, Wallingford 3rd 1 (R Munday); Bicester 3rd 0, Wallingford 4th 2 (M Tinker, V Bennett); Wychwood 2nd 0, Wallingford 5th 1 (C Nicholl); Oxford Hawks U18 1, Surbiton U18 2; Reading U16 4, Oxford Hawks U16 A 4; Amersham & Chalfont U14 5, Oxford Hawks U14A 2; Oxford Hawks U12 A 1, Wallingford U12 4; Team Pritchard (Oxford Hawks U10 B) 1, Oxford U10 4; Thame U10 0, Team Millington (Oxford Hawks U10 A) 2.
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