Windsor rout Milton Keynes to keep pace with leaders Beaconsfield

Windsor routed second from bottom Milton Keynes 52-5 away from home on Saturday to keep pace with league leaders Beaconsfield in the Counties 1 Tribute Southern North.

Windsor have been playing catch up to the leaders all season, after a bruising 47-3 defeat to them in their opening game.

But it seems Beaconsfield aren’t going to slip up in their quest to get promoted back up at the first attempt.

On Saturday, they hardly broke sweat themselves as they swept aside Bracknell’s second team by the same scoreline (52-5) at home. It saw them notch their 14th win from 14 league matches this campaign, and they lead Windsor by 14 points at the top of the standings.

Second place may well be enough for Windsor to get promoted alongside them, however, and Andy Symons’ side will go in search of their ninth straight win when they get back to league action.

When that is, or where they play home matches in the coming weeks, is up for debate as their Home Park ground is currently submerged by flood water.

They’re due to host Bletchley at home on Saturday, but it seems certain that game will have to be rescheduled or moved to another venue.

Mike Crawshaw, the chairman, told the Advertiser this week he hoped the Bletchley game could be hosted by Reading RFC this Saturday.

After that there’s a week’s break before they visit Oxford Harlequins 2nds on January 27, and the club has some breathing space to get Home Park ready again for fixtures with their next scheduled home game after that against Bracknell 2nds on February 3.

However, the flooding will cause plenty of disruption for the club's colts sections who won't be able to play at Home Park for at least a couple of weeks. When the floodwater regresses this week, the club will be able to assess the damage and make a call on when the pitches will be playable again.

Slough also returned to action in the Counties 2 Tribute Berks, Buck & Oxon South Division on Saturday, losing 47-19 at bottom of the table Beaconsfield.

The defeat was Slough’s third on the spin in the league, after losses to Reading Abbey and Crowthorne before Christmas.

They due to return to action at home to fourth-placed Thatcham on January 27.