BRITISH Rail are on the brink of the Oxford & District League Division 1 title.

Back-to-back successes saw the table-toppers beat Rutherford 8-2 and then second-placed Bicester A 7-3.

It means with an eight-point lead, they have put themselves in a practically unassailable position at the top with only one more match to go.

Maximums for Darren Jones and Neil Cartwright saw off Rutherford.

But the Bicester match proved a much close affair.

After leading 4-0, Bicester hit back to make it 4-3 through Andy Misseldine, twice and Darren Palmer, before the title favourites wrapped up victory.

Tony Gorman led the way as Bicester A beat Forum B 8-2.

Kiarash Shaddel starred as Forum C beat Forum D 8-2. Pawel Zukowski hit back with two wins for the D’s.

Forum F whitewashed Holton A 10-0 to wrap-up the Division 2 title.

Huw Morgan led two-man Vikings B to a 6-4 win over Bicester B to stay second.

Two-man Gladiators A were held to a draw by club-mates Gladiators B, and, in particular, Sergio Garcia Castillo’s treble.

A Dawn Pearce maximum allowed Begbroke to beat Forum G 6-4.

Forum H beat Forum E 7-3, thanks to maximums for Ryan Hambridge and Bertie Anstis.

Birgit Muller led the way as Vikings C beat Forum J 6-4 in Division 3.

Feng Gu and Vicky Coll starred as Vikings D beat Forum I 7-3.

Bicester C upset Holton C 6-4, and Holton D beat Holton B 7-3.

  • THE two-a-side competition was concluded with Temple C running out clear winners.

The top player accolade went to Terence Goddard, of Bicester F, who won all his 18 matches.

RESULTS

Division 1: British Rail 7, Bicester A 3; Forum B 2, Bicester A 8 (T Gorman 3); British Rail 8 (D Jones 3, N Cartwright 3), RAL 2; Forum D 2, Forum C 8 (K Shaddel 3).

Division 2: Bicester B 4, Vikings B 6 (H Morgan 3); Holton A 0, Forum F 10 (E Lush 3, J Talbot 3, M Isherwood 3); Forum G 4, Begbroke 6 (D Pearce 3); Gladiators B 5 (S Garcia Castillo 3), Gladiators A 5; Forum H 7 (R Hambridge 3, B Anstis 3), Forum E 3.

Division 3: Vikings D 7 (F Gu 3, V Coll 3), Forum I 3; Bicester C 6, Holton C 4; Vikings C 6 (B Muller 3), Forum J 4; Holton D 7 (B Dobson 3, R Mott 3), Holton B 3.