COACH James Croker revealed it was the wise words of former Bournemouth coach Pete Kennedy that finally convinced his modest Oakmeadians troops of their league title credentials.

Croker’s side downed Kennedy’s impressive North Dorset outfit 39-5 earlier this month on their way to opening up a three-point gap at the top of Southern Counties South.

And Kennedy, one of the region’s most respected coaches, was quick to heap praise on Croker’s championship-chasing charges.

Croker, whose side host Tadley in the league tomorrow, said: “Pete Kennedy said we are streets ahead of anything else in this league and I’ve always thought that – but now the lads are buying into that too.

“We all feel really positive.”

Oakmeadians have four games remaining to clinch the title and join the likes of Swanage & Wareham in South West One following the RFU’s league restructure Croker added: “We’ve done really well against the teams in the league above already this year.

“We lost to Swanage and we should have won it – but if you take Malakai Magnus, Bunny Burenivalu and Sam Collins out of the back line, you will offer a little less threat.”

Oaks: (from) Bell, Ciriki, Burenivalu, Morgan, Hare, Notobartolo, Tryska, Harman, Bongard, R Stephenson, Atkins, Blackburn, W Croker, Leyland, Stradwick, Richards, Tim Flower, Hokianga.

  • Meanwhile, Wimborne welcome Oldfield Old Boys to Leigh Park in Southern Counties South.

Wimborne: Unwin, Murphy, Tinsdale, Hawkings, Jordan, Champ, Morgan, Davies, Llewellyn, Van Wyk, Mikolajewski, Griffith, Walter, Buller, Maltman. Subs: Hunt, Chapman, Coulling.