PREMIER champions Swan A gave themselves an outside chance of holding onto the Greene King Oxford & District League title after they beat their B side 2-1.

Dick Walsh led the way with 15 dolls (6-4-5) and was well supported by Jon Townsend (4-6-3) and Keith Powell (4-4-5) as they won the opening leg 29-24.

Swan B levelled in the second 31-29 and set 28 in the decider.

The A team flew past that with 32 to earn a crucial win.

Simon King, who clanged off 14 dolls (5-5-4), was top dog for the B team.

New Club A lead by one point after a 3-0 win at home to George A.

Roger Goodall hit a six in his 15-doll haul (6-5-4) as the hosts triumphed 26-24, 27-24, 23-21.

Andy Beal led the way with 14 (4-5-5) as Gladiators A kept up the pressure when beating Red Lion A Yarnton 30-24, 28-22, 28-22 at home.

Ray Barson showed the youngsters the way as the 76-year-old clanged off a six in the 14-doll haul (6-4-4) for Red Lion.

Section 1 leaders Woodman bounced back from two previous defeats by coming from behind to beat Garsington Sports A 22-29, 26-23, 27-19.

Three Pigeons are only two points behind after claiming a 24-19, 27-20, 26-26 (on three sticks) victory over Black Prince.

It remains tight at the top of Section 2, with the top five separated by only three points.

Bullnose Morris A head the pack after beating previous leaders Chequers C 12-18, 27-14, 20-14.

Six Bells E Kidlington, one of a trio of teams in second spot, boosted their chances with a 25-20, 17-17 (lost on three sticks), 22-16 win over Gladiators B.

Gladiators veteran Tommy Recht just kept himself out of the blobbers section by hitting a doll with his last throw.

Six Bells D Kidlington came away from Vikings Sports A with all three points, triumphing 19-19 (on three sticks), 28-17, 22-12.

Bells’ Oakan Guney had a mixed night, blobbing out in his first throw, before clanging off his first six and then hitting a solitary one.

Crown came from behind to beat Donnington Club A 16-20, 20-13, 25-15.

Stuart Bishop bagged a six for Section 3 leaders Chequers A in their 17-15, 23-17, 22-18 win at the Queens Head .

Garsington Sports Club B dropped a point at home to Tiddington Cricket Club.

Phil Jackson hit his third six of the season as Garsington won 22-19, 19-21, 12-11.

JOSH Brakspear whipped off 14 (4-5-5) as Section 4 joint leaders Donnington Club C beat Swan C 15-11, 24-18, 24-18.

George B almost extinguished any chances Six Bells B Kidlington had of winning the league with a comfortable 24-22, 18-13, 18-16 victory.

Only one doll separated Littlemore British Legion A and Black Swan overall.

Swan won the opener 19-17, before Legion levelled a lengthy second leg on three sticks for the second time.

They then took the decider 18-17.

Section 5 leaders Bullnose Morris made it 11 wins out of 12, with a 11-13, 19-11, 20-12 success over Chequers B.

Red Lion Marston scored more dolls than their visitors Masons Arms B, but still lost 11-12, 21-12, 18-16.

Cricketers Arms’ Brendan Walsh blobbed out in the first leg against Fox & Goat, but redeemed himself by clanging off a six in his side’s 16-14, 22-15, 15-8 victory.

Vikings Sports D shocked second-placed Seacourt Bridge A by beating them on their own patch 17-14, 16-15, 18-17.

In Section 6, Steve Bennett was in great form for Northway Club A, whipping off 14 (4-5-5), but it was all in vain as they lost 18-10, 22-17, 12-21.

There was a minute's silence held at the game between leaders Six Bells B Quarry and Black Horse B for former player Billy Munnelly who died last week.

Bells got a shock as they lost 21-12, 12-23, 17-11.

The only unbeaten team in the league, Section 7 leaders Red Lion B Yarnton, almost came unstuck at home to Northway Club C.

Lion lost the first leg 12-11 and were then set 13 by Northway in the second.

With only seven on the board and two players left it was looking ominous, but a five from anchorman Ron Squires saw them take the leg with 15.

They then wrapped up victory 18-15 in the decider.

The two Catherine Wheel sides clashed with the B team coming out on top 15-7, 13-12, 19-13.

Steve Tooke was in tremendous for the second team, clanging off 14 (4-4-6).

RESULTS

OXFORD & DISTRICT LEAGUE

Premier/Section 1: Gladiators A 3, Red Lion A 0; New Club A 3, George A 0; Black Prince 0, Three Pigeons 3; Woodman 2, Garsington Sports A 1; Swan B 1, Swan A 2.

Section 2: Vikings Sports A 0, Six Bells D 3; Six Bells E 2, Gladiators B 1; Black Horse C 2, Six Bells A Quarry 1; Bullnose Morris A 2, Chequers C 1; Crown 2, Donnington Club A 1.

Section 3: White House 2, New Club B 1; Six Bells A 2, Vikings Sports B 1; Garsington Sports B 2, Tiddington CC 1; Queens Head 0, Chequers A 3; Blackbird 2, King & Queen 1.

Section 4: George B 3, Six Bells B 0; Masons Arms A 3, Democrats Club A 0; Littlemore BL 2, Black Swan 1; Rose Hill Club 3, Green Road Club B 0; Swan C 0, Donnington Club C 3.

Section 5: Red Lion 1, Masons Arms B 2; Seacourt Bridge A 1, Vikings Sports D 2; Cricketers A 1, Littlemore BL B 2; Cricketers Arms 3, Fox & Goat 0; Chequers B 1, Bullnose Morris B 2.

Section 6: Marston BL 2, Northway Club A 1; Green Road Club A 1, Florence Park Club 2; Six Bells B 1, Black Horse B 2; Donnington Club B 3, White Hart A 0.

Section 7: Red Lion B 2, Northway Club C 1; Black Horse A 2, Cricketers B 1; Prince of Wales 1, Kidlington Sports Club 2; Catherine Wheel B 3, Catherine Wheel A 0; Northway Club B 3, Tandem 0.

Section 8: Golden Ball 3, Headington Con Club 0; White Hart B 2, Kings Arms 1; White Hart 2, Red Lion 1; Democrats Club B 3, Seacourt Bridge B 0.

Sixers: R.Barson (Red Lion A Yarnton), D Walsh, J Townsend (Swan A), J Coates (Swan B), P Jackson (Garsington Sports B), M Morgan (Rose Hill Club), B Walsh (Cricketers Arms), E Edwards (Three Pigeons), R.Goodall (New Club A), O Gurney (Six Bells D), S Bishop (Chequers A), R Busby (Six Bells B), C Webb (Gladiators B), I Bowler (Littlemore BL A), S Tooke (Catherine Wheel B).

Blobbers: M Davies (Florence Park Club), H Morgan (White Hart B), G Howell (Catherine Wheel A), R Elger (Red Lion Cassington), B Stone (White Hart Wytham), F Delaney (Democrats Club B), K Hayle, M Joye, S Eagle (Seacourt Bridge B).

Top doll scorers: 15 – D Walsh (Swan A), R Goodall (New Club A). 14 – A Beal (Gladiators A), S King (Swan B), J Breakspear (Donnington Club C), S Bennett (Northway Club A), S Tooke (Catherine Wheel B). 13 – J Townsend, K Powell (Swan A), M Morgan (Rose Hill Club), P Townsend (Three Pigeons), Lu Purcell (George A), C Webb (Gladiators B).

ABINGDON & DISTRICT LEAGUE

(sponsored by Dyno Plumbing & Heating)

Premier & A Section: Spread Eagle B 3, Tandem 3; Abingdon Con Club 2, Spread Eagle 4; College Oak A 2, Plum Pudding 4; Hart Harwell A 0, Abingdon United B 6; Plum Pudding B 1, Steventon Sports A 5.

B Section: Abingdon Utd C 6, Abingdon RBL 0; Berinsfield SC B 0, Red Lion Drayton A 6; Fox Denchworth B 2, Chequers Charney 4; Royal Oak Didcot 0, Fox Denchworth A 6; The Vine Cumnor 3, SITV FC 3.

C Section: Abingdon Arms Wantage 2, Abingdon Con Club A 4; Eight Bells Eaton 0, The Grapes 6; Plough East Hendred 4, Brewery Tap A 2; Red Lion Drayton B 4, Fleur De Lys 2; The Bell Grove 2, Spread Eagle D 4.

D Section: Bowyer Arms 2, The Plough Long Wittenham 4; FMSSC Morning Star 2, Bear and Ragged Staff 4; Harwellian A 5, Berinsfield SC C 1; North Star A 3, Wheatsheaf Didcot A 3; White Horse A 0, Waggon & Horses B 6.

E Section: Boundary House A 3, Wheatsheaf Drayton 3; Brewery Tap B 0, Saxton Rovers 0 (no card); Crown Marcham 3, Black Horse East Hanney 3; George & Dragon Upton 4, Harwellian B 2; Waggon & Horses A 6, Boundary House 0.

F Section: Ladygrove A 4, RAL Sec Soc 2; Queens Arms Didcot 4, Old Anchor A 2; Plough A West Hanney 2, White Horse B 4; Wantage Town FC 0, College Oak 6; Wheatsheaf Didcot B 0, North Star B 6.

Sixers: D Dix (Abingdon United B), D Mott (Spread Eagle), J Morris (Red Lion Drayton A).

Blobbers: D Smith (Berinsfield SC C), D Southey (Boundary House), D Shearer (Crown Marcham), J Osborne (Bear & Ragged Staff), J Tuckey (Wantage Tn FC), J Shipman (Plum Pudding B), J Bosley (Harwellian B), J Brinkley (RAL Sec Soc), K Belcher (Brewery Tap B), K Broderick (Wantage Tn FC), L Chadwick (Boundary Hs), M Reed (George & Dragon Upton), M Webb (Boundary House), T Cooper (Wantage Tn FC).

WYCHWOOD LEAGUE

Cock Inn 8, Chadlington SSC 2; Oxford Yeoman B 2, Masons Arms A 8; Enstone SSC 8, Black Prince B 2; Three Horseshoes 2, Ye Olde Cross Keys 8; Masons Arms B 8, Oxford Yeoman A 2; Stonesfield SSC 6, Killingworth Castle 4; Woodman Inn 3, Red Lion 7.

Top scorer: E Lacey (Cock Inn) 21.

Sixers: E Lacey, A Chamberlain, A Kerpache.