Witney went top of the Southern Counties North table after an ‘ugly’ 21-11 victory at Beaconsfield.

They began in confident style and took the lead with a penalty from full back Ed Mitchem.

No 8 Carl Campbell sent flanker Tim Muller diving over for try No 1.

A Beaconsfield penalty was matched by Mitchem to make it 11-3, and the hosts struck with a try just before half-time.

Witney continued to struggle after the break, especially in the loose, but Mitchem’s third penalty made it 14-8.

Beaconsfield reduced the arrears with another penalty and looked as if they could edge a win.

The decisive moment came when flanker Will MacBurnie charged down a 22 drop-out and sprinted in for Mitchem to convert.

Grove dropped to second on points difference after clinging on to a 20-19 victory over Windsor.

Scrum half Nick Hayes starred with a try on his debut, while fly half Roger Sevier slotted four kicks out of four.

Sloppy defence allowed Windsor hooker Owen Oxlade to run in an easy try from a five-metre line-out.

Sevier slotted a penalty, but Windsor scored again through centre Paul Nunn, fly half Andy Van Terheyden converting.

A long-range penalty from Sevier made it 12-6 at half-time.

Against the run of play, Hayes bagged a try from 60 metres out after play changed hands three times, Sevier converting.

Grove hooker Jon North was sin-binned, but they still managed the next score when No 8 Ben Nicholl ran in an interception try from 30 metres, Sevier converting.

Windsor replacement Pete Wright was driven over in the corner, and Van Terheyden converted, but it was not enough.

Bicester were unlucky to lose 12-11 at Newbury Stags in their best performance of the season, but stay rooted to the bottom.

They led 11-0 with 21 minutes to go and then saw scrum half Steve Risbridger just miss a last-minute penalty.

Risbridger had put Bicester ahead with a seventh-minute penalty.

Lock Mark Malins charged down a clearance and galloped 15 metres to score Bicester’s try on the left.

Midway through the second half, Risbridger slotted his second penalty and all looked good for the visitors.

But two soft tries followed, with tight-head prop Ben Louisson and his loose-head partner Graham Stewart going over, wing Jon Halley converting the former.

An under-strength Chipping Norton lost 25-11 at home to Amersham & Chiltern after a poor second half.

Chippy took the lead with two penalties from fly half Adam Smith.

Amersham replied with two penalties and a try, but Barry Nutt’s score made it 11-11 at the break.

Two quick converted tries ended Chippy’s hopes in the second half, and they could not convert pressure into points after that.