GOALS from Kit Cutter and Andy Watts could not prevent Oxford Hawks’ first defeat of the season.

They went down 5-2 at Birmingham University to be knocked off the top of the Investec Men’s National Conference West.

Cutter levelled in a first half which was even until just before the break, when two quick goals from penalty corners gave the students a 3-1 lead.

Watts got the visitors back in the game ten minutes into the second half, but that was as good as it got for them.

Within a minute the home side had restored their two-goal lead and a fifth arrived late on to confirm the end of Hawks’ unbeaten run.

Ben Kirk struck a late equaliser to earn Witney a 1-1 draw at Oxford OBU in MBBO Regional Division 1.

The hosts started brightly and their pressure eventually told with a neat move which was finished off by Hector Lyons.

Witney squandered several chances in the second half, but their efforts paid off in the closing stages.

Fraser Barnard won the ball and played in Kirk, who lashed the ball through the keeper’s legs to ensure the spoils were shared.

Wallingford suffered a third-straight defeat, when losing 5-2 at OMT.

Ed Atkins and Connor Blakey scored for the visitors.

OTHER RESULTS

Oxford Hawks 2nd 2 (S Chilvers), PHC Chiswick 4; Henley 2nd 2, Oxford Hawks 3rd 4 (H Jones 3, F Smith); Windsor 2, Oxford Hawks 4th 1 (R Scragg); Oxford Hawks 5th 0, Amersham & Chalfont 2nd 2; Oxford Hawks 6th 1 (L Atkens), Newbury & Thatcham 4th 4; Witney 3rd 2, Oxford Hawks 7th 2 (McGregor, M Shirley); South Berkshire Super Vets 2, Falcon 2; Oxford Hawks U12 8, Bicester U12 1; West Hampstead 2nd 2, Oxford 2nd 3 (D Bleach, R Heywood, F Munn); Oxford 3rd 4 (J Vogel 2, B Brearey 2), West Hampstead 3rd 1; Aylesbury 3rd 0, Oxford 5th 7 (O Martin 2, J Fenton, W Chatterton, O Morss Davis, B Aldridge, S Grey); Oxford 6th 0, Ashford 3rd 0; Leighton Buzzard 3rd 5, Oxford 7th 1 (A Valentine); Oxford 8th 3, South Berkshire 4th 1; Sonning 6th 1, Oxford 9th 1 (A Ahmed); Witney 2nd 1 (E Martin), Oxford 4th 2 (J Ogle, C Brown); Witney 3rd 2 (J Merrill 2), Oxford Hawks 7th 2; Wallingford 2nd 2 (B White 2), Marlow 3rd 3; Wallingford 3rd 11 (S Hudson 5, J Garrod 3, J Craven, E Jenkins, S Sweeney), Ramgaria 2nd 1; Phoenix & Ranelagh 3rd 0, Wallingford 4th 2; Wallingford 5th 4 (J Rees 2, G Potter, C Ward), Thame 3rd 0.