THE battle for the Section 1 title now looks like being a three-horse race in the Shaw & Co Oxfordshire Foursomes League.

Leaders Tadmarton Heath missed a great chance to cement their position at the top when they lost 2-1 at lowly Ellesborough on Saturday.

They are now just four points ahead of Chipping Norton with Oxford City a further half behind in third and Tadmarton have played two more matches.

The crucial clash at Ellesborough turned out to be the first where Tom Lawson and Lee Eldridge defeated Andrew Mason and Ian Manning by a single hole.

Owen King and Mark Hughes saw off Ellesborough's Rod Crisp and Dean Eldridge 3 & 2, but James Mortimer and Mike Armitage sealed the points after defeating Tadmarton's Spencer Hallam and Roger Mawle 4 & 3.

Tadmarton's final two fixtures are against Chippy and Oxford City, so if the promoted club are to be champions they will have to do it the hard way.

Burford leapt to the top of Section 2 after hammering Buckingham 3-0 - an ideal confidence booster ahead of Saturday's visit of second-placed Drayton Park.

John Wilks and new partner Andy Barnett had the toughest encounter, pipping Ben Howell and Ben Skinner by two holes.

Tom Potter and Andy Purdy thrashed Dave Drewe and Paul Lines 9 & 8, winning eight holes in a row with five pars and three birdies.

Ian Liddle and Simon Hopkins were also under par in their 4 & 3 defeat of Darrell Robertson and Alan Lidgely.

Bicester still lead Section 3 despite their 2-1 loss at Hazelmere in which Rob King and David Cronin picked up their sole point.

RESULTS

Section 1

Ellesborough 2 (3pts), Tadmarton Heath 1 (1) (Ellesborough first): T Lawson & L Eldridge bt A Mason & I Manning 1 up, R Crisp & D Eldridge lost to O King & M Hughes 3 & 2, J Mortimer & M Armitage bt S Hallam & R Mawle 4 & 3.

Section 2

Burford 3 (4), Buckingham 0 (0) (Burford first): J Wilks & A Barnett bt B Howell & P Skinner 2 up, T Potter & A Purdy bt D Drewe & P Lines 9 & 8, I Liddle & S Hopkins bt D Robertson & A Lidgely 4 & 3.

Section 3

Hazlemere 2 (3), Bicester 1 (1) (Hazlemere first): A Birdseye & R Patterson bt R Prunier & N Jones 8 & 7, C Lawrence & T Harwood lost to R King & D Cronin 6 & 4, N Joy & C Tackley bt P Davis & P Hickman 2 & 1.