What a difference a couple of weeks make!

Winchester have leapt up from deep-despairing eighth to promotion-pushing equal third on the back of their 25-10 victory over a watered-down Andover outfit in London Division 3 South-West.

Such is the tightness of the division that this singular result has restored the belief in Barry Bridgman's side and they now sit just two points shy of Effingham & Leatherhead in the play-off berth.

Both sides cancelled each other out in the first half as replacement number eight Pete Taylor raced over for the visitors on the half-hour before bulldozing prop Adi Mort replied shortly afterwards.

Dan Kinsey and Jon Wilkinson posted penalties to leave the game poised at 10-10 at the break, but Winchester stepped up a gear and penalty try was followed by Simon Rogers' effort as the visitors were reduced to 13 men through indiscipline.

Coach Bridgman was left a happy man, particularly with the second half performance.

"It was a very good showing from us and I am pleased with what I saw. Young George Daniels stood out for me on the flank."

The league championship awaits Jersey as they completed their pre-Christmas campaign unbeaten with a clinical performance to trounce Tottonians 46-10 at Water Lane.

Dai Burton's Channel Islanders are eight points clear at the helm and showed all their credentials against Paul Goodall's side.

Goodall asked his side to switch on right from the start - unlike the show against Andover - but whether they heeded his advice could be questioned as Jersey rode through a host of missed tackles to score after just 27 seconds of the kick-off.

They were through again after five minutes and before the quarter-mark of the game as Totts kept feeding their powerful winger and full-back with regular opportunities to counterattack with penetrating runs.

The skipper got his team on the board with a penalty before the break, but Jersey started the second half as they opened the first with two tries in quick succession - again through their powerful back division.

They were not finished though and added another couple before James Angove drove over from a line out as the visitors faded in the last ten minutes.

It will surely be the last time for a while that the men in red will be visiting this part of the mainland as they look forward to promotion.

"Jersey are going to go up this year," admitted Goodall.

"We were well beaten by the better side and I have never seen as quick a full-back.

"He caused us many problems and a little bit of inexperience cost us.

"But we matched them up front and I was very proud of the team by the way they kept at it.

"We are still in the promotion play-off shake-up and we have now played Jersey twice, unlike any other side."