Oxford Harlequins rode their luck on Sunday to defeat a spirited Witney side who came close to causing a major upset in the Oxfordshire Cup final.

Despite being two divisions below Quins, Witney, who lost 19-12, had more than enough chances to win an intriguing final at Iffley Road.

Crucially, though, they missed four kicks at goal and twice knocked on with the tryline at their mercy.

Quins looked in control when scrum half and man-of-the-match Anthony Cope produced the game's one real moment of class to score a 49th-minute try.

Fly half Ben Cottenden's conversion made it 19-5, but they were unable to turn the screw as Witney kept up their impressive intensity.

It was the pre-match favourites who were hanging on at the end, leaving Witney to dream of what might have been.

The west Oxfordshire men were clearly up for it from the start and twice went close before taking a seventh-minute lead.

A well-executed line-out move saw No 8 Owen Fowler forced into touch on the blindside.

Quins could not clear and when Witney fly half Matt Watts's looped pass found flanker Will Worall, he looked set to dive over.

Worrall proved Witney's star man over the 80 minutes, but this time the ball squirmed out of his grasp.

For all Witney's attacking play, they were gifted an opening try when Quins' skipper Andy Noyce was caught out by Jez Tanner's suicidal goal-area pass.

Winger Henry Lamb reacted first to touch down.

Fortunately for Quins, Cottenden kept his cool to slot a 13th-minute penalty.

Witney scrum half Gareth Campbell thought he had scored on 16 minutes, but play was brought back for a forward pass.

Although Quins crept ahead with Cottenden's second penalty on 27 minutes, the errors kept coming.

Noyce was lucky to escape a yellow card for swatting the ball into touch close to his own line, while Tanner knocked on as they tried to run clear.

Worrall's excellent tap-tackle stopped Quins centre Andy Henley breaking through on 36 minutes.

Cottenden kicked a third penalty in stoppage time.

Quins dominated the next quarter.

Cottenden made it 12-5 with another penalty before Cope's solo effort appeared to have finished Witney off.

The lively scrum half picked up the ball on the edge of Witney's 22, darted inside and easily beat the last defender to touch down.

Witney refused to lie down and Harper should have done better on 64 minutes when he ignored the overlapping Henry Lamb.

Lamb's twin brother James gave their fans hope with Witney's second try four minutes later.

They almost scored with a rolling maul before Watts fed the centre, who easily cut through a static defence.

Watts landed the conversion, and at 19-12, Witney had a real chance.

Quins, perhaps unwisely, kept trying to run the ball and were fortunate to see Watts's drop-goal attempt sail just wide on 74 minutes.

Witney's best chance came just afterwards when full back Jonny Wheater broke into the 22.

The ball reached winger Carl Strutt at pace, but he fumbled ten metres out.

Replacement Martin Lyall and hooker Andy Merriman were both sin-binned in a desperate finale and Quins lock Alex Dyer suffered the same fate.

Witney had come up just short, but did their army of supporters proud Oxford Harlequins: Yee, Noyce (capt), Mawle (Murphy blood 24-25), Henley, Tanner, Cottenden, A Cope, DeLange, Chadbone (Needham 57), Chapman, Dyer, Cradock, J Cope, Young, Soper (Vinter blood 65-68, 79-80).

Witney: Wheater, H Lamb, Harper, J Lamb, C Strutt, Watts (Monks 80), G Campbell, Dore (Serle 76), Merriman, Gosling, J Hicks (capt) (G Williams blood 18-29, 40-41 & 58-80), Richens, Worrall, C Campbell, Fowler (Lyall 57).

Oxford Mail man-of-the-match: A Cope.