OXFORD City Stars endured a miserable weekend with defeats to Chelmsford Chieftains and Milton Keynes Thunder in the English National League.

Despite the losses, they remain second in South Division 1, but six points behind leaders Chieftains.

Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash in Essex saw Stars surrender a 2-0 lead before going down 8-3.

Goals from Ben Paynter and Alan Green put Oxford two-up inside six minutes.

Grant Bartlett reduced the deficit, before Stars were hit by a sucker punch.

Despite the hosts being a man down, Liam Chong levelled.

Then quick goals from Jake Sylvester and Danny Hammond made it 4-2 to the home side in the second period.

Bartlett extended their lead in the third, before Joe Edwards replied.

However, pushing for another goal, Oxford were caught on the counter in the final ten minutes, with Hammond, Juraj Huska and Darren Brown netting.

Against Thunder, three goals in the final period proved too little too late in a 5-3 defeat at Oxpens.

The visitors raced into a 3-0 lead after seven minutes, when Jakub Klima, Adam Harris and Harrison Goode fired past netminder Tom Annetts.

Thunder’s dominance continued in the first minute of the second period as Ross Bowers made it 4-0.

Both sides felt the wrath of the referee as neither added to the scoreline until the final period.

Klima made it 5-0 to the visitors, but with ten minutes to go Stars sprung into life.

Michael Whillock, Jason Ikin and Edwards scored, but the hosts had left themselves with too much work to do.