England Hockey League 2023/24 Premier Division Weekend 5 Review

Surbiton went top of the Vitality Women’s Premier Division but Bowdon remained the only team unbeaten after the fifth weekend of matches.

Five out of the six games played on Saturday saw two goals scored in successive minutes, which included Surbiton’s 4-1 win at Loughborough Students to see them become league leaders.

Dave Beckett’s side won for the third time in four visits to Loughborough as the Students lost their third game in a row at home.

On Saturday, Martha Taylor’s sixth minute opener was cancelled out moments later by Samantha McCrory for the hosts. But a fine second-half showing saw Josefina Hippe, Meg Dowthwaite and Steph Elliott score in a dominant 17-minute spell as the Students remained bottom.

Bowdon were indebted to Jane Donnelley for her 54th minute penalty corner goal, which came a minute after Fiona Burnet had netted from the set piece for Wimbledon.

The 1-1 draw means that Bowdon remain unbeaten from five, the only top flight to do so after Clifton Robinsons lost 4-1 at East Grinstead.

Tess Howard netted another double for EG to take her tally to five for the season, while the West Sussex side also saw goals from Sophie Bray and Sally Sime.

While Robbies dropped to fifth, University of Nottingham moved into sixth after a Maddie Axford double proved the difference in their local derby at Beeston in a 2-1 win.

Axford’s 39th minute winner came after Maddie Newitt had netted a minute earlier. Her fourth minute opener had been scored somewhat fortuitously, via a deflection off the umpire.

Meanwhile, three open play goals in seven minutes from Melanie Wilkinson (32) Rachel Greenwood (38) and Madi Ratcliffe (39) led Hampstead & Westminster to a 3-1 win over Isca & University of Exeter. It was the third time in five matches that the Devonians had failed to score.

University of Birmingham are level with Isca on three points after a Mia Moore brace inside a minute paved the way for Reading’s 3-1 home victory.

Coca Hall had netted in the 55th minute to give the students hope before Lucienne Damen secured the points five minutes from time.

Old Georgians took their stellar form on the continent to the top of the Men’s Premier Division after inflicting an 8-0 defeat on Reading.

Sam Ward and James Carson both scored hat-tricks, with Ed Carson and Alan Forsyth also getting in on the act as the champions led a four-way tussle at the summit on goal difference. 

Old Georgians goalkeeper George Pinner said: “The start of the league was a bit slow for us. And it was a brave and conscious decision by the coaches not to have an arduous pre-season, but to use the league to build into the EHL.

“The two excellent results in the EHL meant that this game was going to be a bit of a potential banana skin. It could have been easy for us not to turn up but it was a really pleasing weekend."

James Carson delicately chipped a first time ball wide of Reading goalkeeper Chris Wyver as the pick of OGs’ goals, the champions racking up their fourth win in five matches.

Old Georgians’ win was one of all six Premier Division games won by the home side (with records suggesting that a match day clean sweep was last achieved in 1997).

Two penalty corner goals from Matt Guise-Brown, with his seventh of the season, and James Oates led Hampstead & Westminster to a 2-1 home win over Southgate.

But their London rivals didn’t make it easy for H&W after their former player Kwan Browne had levelled the match through his second penalty stroke in as many matches.

Like Old Georgians and H&W, Surbiton notched their 18th goal of the season in a slender 1-0 victory over rivals Wimbledon.

James Gall’s 24th-minute strike proved the difference as Surbiton kept up their three-year unbeaten run at home over Wimbledon.

Holcombe are also nestled at the top on 12 points as Sam Taylor’s 58th minute penalty corner goal set up a 1-0 win over Oxted.

Oxted are still to score at Holcombe in the Premier Division after losing 4-0 in November 2021.

Beeston have now won all three top flight games against the University of Nottingham following their 4-0 win.

The Bees were 3-0 up inside nine minutes, Henry Croft scoring two in that time to lead the Premier Division leading scorers with eight.

East Grinstead scored their second win of the season courtesy of a 2-1 success over Cardiff & Met. 

Simon Faulkner and Hugh Pembroke netted penalty corner goals, either side of Cardiff’s leveller from Scott Rawlings.

* All stats kindly provided by Colin Pike