TOM Heeks has challenged his Drifters team to keep on winning matches and consolidate second position in the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Premier this season.

Drifters returned to action from the Christmas break with a 37-18 win at rivals Phoenix on Saturday with full-back Rob Wills bagging a hat-trick.

The bonus point success keeps them second in the league table and though Heeks admits Drifters may not be able to catch runaway leaders Swindon College Old Boys, he insists there is plenty to play for.

“The aim has got to be to keep on winning and try to close the gap on Swindon with Hungerford right behind us,” the head coach told the Observer.

“They both beat us earlier in the season so we would like to do the same to them.

“That has got to be the aim, to make sure we finish at least second. There’s plenty to play for.

“Swindon are probably too far ahead to catch them but we’re going to be caught by Hungerford if we don’t pick up points all the time.”

Brad Parker and Matt Brown also scored tries in the victory at Phoenix while Simon Heeks made his 50th first team appearance.

Heeks believes his side played excellent rugby to score the tries, but he was also full of praise for their fallen hosts.

He said: “It was a good match and I’m really pleased to come away with the bonus point win.

“After Christmas there is always a little bit of rust but we played 50-60 minutes of rugby. We were off the boil either side of that. Too many mince pies and all that.

“Phoenix are a much-improved side and I was really impressed with them, they have clearly been working hard in recent months.

“We came out of the locker rooms pretty well and in the first 20 minutes scored three tries, all from excellent rugby.

“Some of the patterns we’re putting together and phase play is excellent. We played through our backs which was entertaining to watch.

“The Phoenix forwards were very good and I have to give credit to them. They came back at us and their fly-half was absolutely excellent in dragging them back into the game.”

Drifters host bottom-of-the-table Risborough at One Pin Lane this Saturday and Heeks has warned against complacency.

“We talked about it in the week because you don’t know what you will come up against,” he said. “Their team could be different. I expect them to be much better and it took us a long time to break them down the first time."