Uhlsport Hellenic League

Ryan Brooks hit a superb hat-trick to give leaders Ardley United a 3-0 win at home to Wantage Town in their Premier Division top-of-the-table clash on Saturday.

Brooks, whose treble took his tally for the season to 40 goals in all competitions, opened the scoring in the tenth minute.

He ran on to a Stuart Bridges pass through the middle and outpaced the defence, before rounding keeper Steve Howe to shoot home.

Wantage had a great chance to equalise in the 58th minute when they were awarded a penalty after Matt Pedder was brought down by Kelvin McIntosh.

Richie Claydon took the spot-kick, but Jack Harding dived to his right to save a penalty for the second successive game.

Oxford Mail:

Wantage's Richie Claydon takes this spot-kick, but it was saved by Ardley goalkeeper Jack Harding

This seemed to deflate Wantage, and Brooks doubled Ardley’s lead in the 74th minute.

He chased the ball into the area, only to lose control as Howe came out, but was first onto his feet to slot home off the far post.

Brooks completed his hat-trick four minutes from time, running on to a Steve Howkins ball over the top before firing home.

Ardley are now five points clear of Highmoor Ibis, who leapfrogged Wantage into second after a 3-2 home win over Bracknell Town.

Luke Ricketts equalised direct from a corner in the second minute of time added on to earn Thame United a last-gasp 2-2 draw at lowly Abingdon United.

Ricketts had given Thame the lead on the half-hour. He won a header from Ian Pykett’s cross, before collecting the ball and hitting a powerful shot that flashed past the diving Chris Rackley.

Abingdon levelled six minutes later when Graham Edney pounced to smash home after Josh Cockerill had parried Scott Davies’s goalbound header.

Edney put Abingdon ahead in the 83rd minute, turning inside a challenge before letting fly with a cracking shot.

But Thame equalised at the death when Ricketts’s corner deceived Rackley to leave Abingdon with their first league draw of the season.

ROBBIE Joyce smashed home a terrific goal to give Milton United a 1-0 home win over leaders AFC Hinksey in Division 1 East.

Joyce struck in the 38th minute when he got clear of a defender to crack the ball home, and take Milton up to second.

Milton goalkeeper Craig Griffiths made some tremendous saves, and the back four of Jonny James, Jonathon Stott, Brad Chalmers and Bryn Ingram kept a clean sheet against the division’s top scorers.

In Division 1 West, Hook Norton won 4-3 at Carterton.

Mark Odom, Jason Tillcock, Chris Tillcock and Joe Eyre netted for Hook Norton, with Jamie MacDonagh, James Harris and Aaron Witham replying.

North Leigh United went down 2-1 at home to Fairford Town.

Dan Bailey and Nathan Gambling scored to put Fairford in charge at half-time, and although Jozef Fullerton pulled one back in the 82nd minute it was too little too late.