England Hockey League Weekend Round-Up Week 9

As we approach the business end of Phase One, Jade Bloomfield of Hockey World News gives us the full weekend round-up of the Men's and Women's Premier Division.

Surbiton Women made the trip to the midlands to face Beeston, at the Nottingham Hockey Centre, in search of their 6th straight victory in Nottingham. After a tight first quarter and some strong defending, Beeston finally broke the deadlock in the 29th minute through a Paige Gillott Penalty Corner. Some motivating words from Brett Garrard at half time gave Surbiton the impetus they needed, with Giselle Ansley scoring straight after the restart with a 35th-minute penalty corner. Izzy Petter (53-PC) and Amy Costello (64-PC) extend the lead further to give Surbiton their sixth win at the Nottingham Hockey Centre.

Things were much closer for Surbiton Men when they travelled to near neighbours Wimbledon. Ed Horler (33) opened the scoring just before halftime to give Wimbledon the lead going into the break. Alex Williams struck back for Surbiton to level the scores in the 43rd before Ryhs Smith restored Wimbledon's lead with a 52nd-minute goal. With time running out and Wimbledon looking like they were going to win for just the second time at home against Surbiton, up stepped the penalty corner specialists for the visitors. Gareth Furlong fired home in the 62nd before Luke Taylor rescued all three points for Surbiton with two minutes remaining.

Wimbledon Women were on the road, heading to Kent for the second time in the Premier Division history. With just one win in their last nine, Holcombe had their work cut out to quell the Wimbledon attack, who remain unbeaten this season. Megan Crowson scored her first or two with an 18th-minute penalty corner to give Wimbledon the lead before Hollie Pearne-Webb doubled the score from the penalty spot in the 51st. Crowson was on target once again three minutes later to complete her brace and give the hosts a 3-0 victory.

Holcombe men were on the wrong end of a very wet but entertaining battle at Caterham School, as Oxted were victorious at home to Holcombe for the first time since the 2007/8 season.

As the match ebbed and flowed, Thomas Russell and Phil Roper put the visitors 2-0 to the good with a four-minute double, an 11-minute penalty corner and a 15th-minute open play goal. Oxted hit back just before halftime, with Matthew Barnett (30) and Owen Williamson (35) equalising from a penalty stroke. With nine minutes of the second half played, Nick Bandurak restored Holcombe's lead, only for the home side to rally and turn the deficit through Williamson's second and Chris Webster to end a fifteen-year wait.

In the Match of the Week, East Grinstead claimed a vital victory against bottom-placed side Brooklands Manchester University to move up the table and just three points off 7th-placed side Reading. Goals from Tom Crowson (16) and Simon Faulkner (53-PC) give East Grinstead their first win in eight games.

Unbeaten in their last seven, East Grinstead women are in the opposite vein of form as they hit five past the University of Nottingham. A Sophie Bray hattrick (26-PC, 47, 69) and goals from England pair Tess Howard (2-PC) and Ellie Rayer (30-PC) gave EG a commanding lead; Merle Knobloch scored a late consolation goal and her sixth of the season for the University of Nottingham. The University men's side suffered the same punishment as EG inflicted on their women when they travelled to Hampstead & Westminster for the first time. Hampstead with six unanswered goals from Rupert Shipperley (5), Kei Kaeppeler (11-PC), Hywel Jones (24-PC), and a Double from Sam French (55, 61).

Hampstead Women travelled to Reading for the first Premier Division meeting between the two sides looking to maintain their unbeaten away from home record for the season. Grace Balsdon (20-PC) and Jasmin Clark (45,68) were on the scoresheet to give the visitors first blood in a new Premier Divison battle.

Losing by the same scoreline, Reading men faced a barrage of Penalty Corner goals from Old Georgian's James Tindall and Sam Ward. Tindall (7-PC) opened the scoring before Sam Ward (8-PC,56-PC) scored his first of a brace a minute later before rounding off the scoring late on.

Clifton Robinsons ended Buckingham's three-game winning streak at Coombe Dingle to secure their first win over Buckingham since 2015. Abi Porter got the hosts off to the perfect start in what could be the fastest goal in Women's Premier Divison history. Scoring within seconds of the starting whistle, Porter stunned the visiting defences. Amy Burton increased the host's lead in the 7th minute before Eloise Laity added the third and final goal in the 42nd to give the hosts the win that would see them climb into the top six with two matches to go.

The University of Birmingham and Loughborough Students played out a 1-1 draw as they lost their grip on the top six. Becca Maylon gave Loughborough the lead on the stroke of halftime, only for Lily Walker to tie things up in the 41st for Birmingham and deny Loughborough their first Premier Division win over Birmingham.

When the University of Exeter and Beeston meet its normally goals galore, with 22 goals in the last four matches, this one was to be no different. Racing away to a 4-0 lead, the University of Exeter were having things all their way, with goals through Jacob Payton (6-PC), Lewis Wilcher (9-PC), Louis Ridge (22) and Billy Collins (27-PC). Beeston's George Fletcher (29) pulled one back before Seb Ansley (34) struck just before halftime. Beeston came out strong in the 2nd hanf with Rohan Buhui (42) and Gareth Griffiths (65) on the scoresheet, however, it was too little too late for the visitors from Nottingham.