Louis Bircham struck in the fourth minute of injury time as Oxhey Jets secured a 1-0 win at Newport Pagnell Town to move within two points of their opponents in the table.

The hosts have previously challenged right at the top of the Spartan South Midlands Premier Division this season but a patchy run of form has seen them fall away, and Jets are now in with a shout of jumping above them after Bircham’s strike at the death.

Sean Giordmaina had the first big chance of the game for either side when he got on the end of an excellent cross from Nick Kerley, but his header ended up over the bar.

A speculative effort from Reece Cameron almost caught the Swans keeper off guard from 40 yards, but he recovered just in time to spare his embarrassment.

Jets shuffled their pack late in the game as Andre Lopes, making his first start after a lengthy injury lay-off, was replaced by 16-year-old Lorcan Myles-Barnett.

The game looked to be heading for a goalless draw, one that Jets would have deserved and no doubt would have been happy with.

However, they got more than they bargained for when the ball fell to Bircham on the edge of the area and he fired home to spark wild celebrations.

Northwood’s first game since the sacking of Jamie Leacock ended in a 4-1 home defeat to Isthmian South Central Division play-off chasers Chertsey Town.

Woods have since appointed Robert Ursell as their new boss and he will have a lot on his hands to guide them to safety.

Eric Lopes’ goal to initially get Woods back in the game at 2-1 was the only thing they could shout about on another disappointing weekend that saw them sink to the foot of the table as a result of Ashford Town’s 3-0 win over South Park.

Caretaker managers John Nolan and Dave Lawrence made a number of changes to Leacock’s last side, bringing in Max Holland, Craig Mathieson and Joakim Ehui.

Chertsey took the lead after 14 minutes when Jonathan Hippolyte got away from his marker and finished from Jake Baxter’s low cross.

Northwood were caught napping again later in the first half and the Curfews punished them for a second time as Lewis Jackson regained possession and crashed his effort past Chris Rackley in the Woods goal.

Against the run of play, the hosts pulled one back in the second half when Lopes latched onto Mathieson’s flick-on to convert.

Within a minute, though, Chertsey restored their cushion through Baxter, and Scott Day rounded things off with 12 minutes to go when his deflected effort wrong-footed Rackley.

Leverstock Green will visit Newport Pagnell Town in the semi-final of the Spartan League Premier Division Cup after winning 3-1 away at Arlesey Town in Tuesday’s quarter-final.

Green fortuitously took the lead after 15 minutes when an Arlesey clearance cannoned off Luke Peerless and into the net.

A goalmouth scramble led to the hosts’ equaliser a minute before half-time, which eventually went down as a Jack Stevens own goal.

With 13 minutes to go, Steve Hawes got on the end of Frankie Jowle’s cross to restore Green’s lead, and in the ninth minute of stoppage time, Luis Brooker notched the third with the last kick of the game.

Saturday saw Green drop to 10th in the Premier Division following a 4-1 home loss to Baldock Town.

A hat-trick from Charlie Thake and an own goal put Baldock four goals to the good before Adiel Mannion struck a consolation with 18 minutes to go.

Berkhamsted knocked Southern League Premier Division Central side Hitchin Town out of the Herts Charity Cup on Tuesday, winning 4-0.

Jonathan Lacey put Berko, a division below Hitchin, into the lead just before half time with an effort from the edge of the area, and Alex Witham made it two shortly after the restart with a fine finish.

Witham made it three when he ran through to slot past Charlie Horlock, and teenager Jack Wood got the fourth late on when he beat the offside trap to roll home.

The Comrades also kept the pressure on Southern Central Division leaders Corby Town with a 1-0 win against Coleshill Town on Saturday.

Ryan Kinnane scored the only goal of the game after 30 minutes, firing home his fifth of the season from the edge of the box.

Finally, Tring Athletic suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat away at Wembley in what proved to be Kevin Christou’s final game in charge of the club.

The boss was sacked with the club second in the Spartan Premier Division and having not lost in the league since a 2-1 loss to Leighton Town in November.

Jonathan Iley volleyed Wembley into the lead before Alie Bangura’s equaliser, but Femi Ogunsola’s composed finish secured the points.

Christou’s last win in charge of the side came on Saturday in a 3-1 success at Broadfields United.

Louis Collier, Aaron Jewell and Frazer John were all on target for Tring.