Oxhey Jets blew an early lead away at Dunstable Town before going on to lose 5-2 in their Spartan South Midlands Premier Division game.

Louis Bircham headed them in front after six minutes only for Dunstable to turn it around and lead 3-1 at the break.

Luke Preedy got another for Jets in between two more strikes for the hosts in the second half.

The away side got off to the perfect start when Bircham was left with the freedom of the Dunstable penalty area to power a header into the net.

However, Dunstable were gifted an equaliser when the Jets goalkeeper waited too long and his kicked clearance cannoned off Joe Hankins and rolled into the net.

Another defensive blunder from the visitors allowed Harry Shepherd to put Dunstable in front, and they managed to find a third before the break when Christopher Stapleton stepped up to score from the spot after a foul by Ashley Lewis.

Jets were left with depleted numbers in the second half when Jamie Speer was shown a red card for arguing over a sin-bin decision, and Bircham was put in the sin-bin himself for overreacting to a decision.

That left Jets chasing the game with nine players and the numerical difference told when Stapleton added a fourth.

Town themselves had someone briefly dismissed and it happened to be Jets’ best period in the game, so much so that they got one back through Preedy’s excellent strike.

However, Hankins restored the cushion for Dunstable late on by completing his brace and sealing a miserable afternoon for Jets.

Northwood slipped to their ninth consecutive defeat in all competitions as they lost 5-2 away at Waltham Abbey.

The home side quickly went into the ascendency as Queens Park Rangers loanee Shiloh Remy’s effort deflected in off Oladimeji Olajubu.

Slack defending from Woods resulted in Abbey notching a second, which was crashed into the roof of the net by Darrelle Russell.

Woods gave themselves a mountain to climb when Ribiero Sanches was sent off just before the break for kicking out, and Abbey got a deserved third when Aron Gordon cut in from the left and curled into the far corner.

Northwood responded when Eric Lopes’ low effort found the bottom corner to at least get them on the scoresheet, but Russell’s second restored the three-goal cushion for Abbey.

Woods at least had the last say as Charlie Malin fired in his first goal for the club from all of 35 yards, but it did nothing to change the end result.

Sarratt’s rescued a 1-1 draw at home to Unite MK in Division Two of the Spartan League on Saturday.

Jamie Parker put the visitors from Milton Keynes in front after 40 minutes, but substitute Christopher White levelled for Sarratt with the last kick of the game to snatch a point.

Leverstock Green bounced back from consecutive Premier Division losses to record a narrow 1-0 win away at Potton United.

John Smith scored the only goal of the game in the first half to move Green level on points with Eynesbury Rovers.

Potton made the better start to the game and should have gone ahead twice through Tom Williams, but he was wasteful on both occasions.

Leverstock’s first chance came through Adiel Mannion, however his low effort was saved by the legs of Sam Irish.

It was Irish’s mistake, though, that proved to be decisive as he dropped a corner onto the head of Smith, who nodded into the empty net.

Leverstock were reduced to 10 men in the second half when Alex Ward raised his hand to George Brinkman’s face, but they managed to hold on and see the game out for a deserved three points.

Three goals in each half briefly took Berkhamsted to the top of the Southern League Central Division after a 6-0 win over bottom side Wantage Town. Corby Town, though, regained top spot after beating St Neots on Tuesday.

Lewis Toomey gave Berko an early lead when he converted from the penalty spot, and he grabbed a second from the edge of the area with only 17 minutes gone.

Ryan Kinnane latched onto Steve Hatch’s ball to make it three before the break, and it took just 10 minutes of the second half for the fourth to arrive through Tyrone Lee.

Toomey then completed his hat-trick to make it 5-0 and debutant Oran Swales finished it off at six.

Berkhamsted Raiders suffered a 4-2 defeat away at Spartan League Division Two mid-table side New Bradwell St Peter.

Lewis Wornham and Jacob Wylde netted for Raiders, while Edward Walton’s brace was added toby Jamie Palmer and Ryan Tappin for Bradwell.

Tring Athletic exited the Herts Charity Shield at the semi-final stage on Tuesday after a 3-2 defeat to Colney Heath.

Goals from Marcus Mealing and Alie Bangura put Tring in the ascendency, but a 22-minute hat-trick from Jon Clements sent Heath into the final.

Finally, Tring were held to a 2-2 draw in the Premier Division on Saturday by Newport Pagnell Town.

An early goal for the visitors from Jim Burnside was cancelled out by Marcus Mealing.

Pagnell led at the break thanks to Nathan Smith, but they were pegged back again in the second half thanks to Aaron Jewell.