Week 15 Review of the England Hockey League

Having looked like they’d brought an end to the Mens Division One South title race by beating challengers Indian Gymkhana a fortnight ago, Old Loughtonians did the same to leaders Reading to open things up again. It was an emphatic 5-2 win for Loughts who lead 5-0 before late consolation goals in the final quarter. Indian Gymkhana took advantage with a win over Bristol University to move within four points of Reading  who they play this weekend. However they were made to work hard for the win by struggling Bristol who came back from 4-1 down, with Ajaz Ahmad scoring a hat-trick, to 4-3 and a nervy last ten minutes for Gym.  Bristol slip to bottom place as Canterbury moved above them and Team Bath Buccaneers, who lost 3-0 to Exeter University, off the back of a fine 4-2 win at Havant.

Loughborough Students remain unbeaten at the top of Division One North after a 2-0 win over Deeside Ramblers. Brooklands MU who trial them by four points won at bottom of the table Stourport thanks to a hat-trick from Carlon Mentoor. Brooklands host Loughborough this Saturday. Ninth placed Lindum are clinging onto hopes of avoiding the drop and took a point from a 2-2 draw with Birmingham University but were denied all three by a 69^th minute equaliser from James Smith. Durham University eased their relegation worries with a 5-1 defeat of Olton & West Warwicks. Nottingham University beat Harborne 4-1.

A last minute winner from Tobias Sadri clinched a 4-3 win for Timperley over Sheffield and the Conference North title in the process. Having finished runners-up in the past two seasons Timperley earned promotion with three weeks to spare as their nearest rivals Leeds went down to a 3-1 defeat at Doncaster who are now level on 30 points with them. At the other end of the table Wakefield are five points adrift at the bottom after their 1-0 home defeat against Oxton. Ben Rhydding jumped from ninth to seventh after a crucial 3-2 win at Brooklands MU 2s who drop into the relegation places. Durham University 2s are also still just above the danger zone after a 2-1 defeat to Didsbury Northern in the last match of a double-double header at the University on Saturday.

It was all change again at the top of Conference East where Surbiton 2s took over top spot. Will Haspel hit a hat-trick as they beat previous leaders Spencer 3-1. London Wayfarers would have gone top if they’d beaten Hampstead & Westminster 2s but were held 2-2. A seven match unbeaten run has seen Bromley & Beckenham move up to fourth. Their latest result a 2-1 win at West Herts, and with that they could still force themselves into contention. The result condemns West Herts to relegation. Brighton & Hove are another team on strong run of form, they beat Tunbridge Wells 5-1 with Nathan Tyler grabbing a hat-trick. Tunbridge drop into the bottom two after Old Cranleighan’s 1-0 win against Wimbledon 2s.

Unbeaten Repton are closing in on the Conference Midlands title. They defeated Birmingham University 2s 3-1 and are eight points clear of Chelmsford  who drew 4-4 at Barford Tigers. Barford are certainly the team to watch if you like goals, their last three results being 4-4, 4-4, 5-5!  Harleston Magpies moved off the foot of the table with a 1-0 win at St Albans.  Birmingham 2s  are now bottom and Harleston level with Cambridge City who went down 6-1 to Norwich City, Cameron Cooke scoring four. Nottingham University 2s beat Banbury 4-3.

Conference West leaders Guildford were made to work hard for the points by Chichester edging the game 2-1 with Sammy Dowds getting both goals. They lead Clifton Robinsons by five points. Clifton beat Reading 2s 5-2 with Ben Stone netting a hat-trick. Oxford Hawks beat Fareham by the same scoreline and Ashmoor and Exeter University 2s played out a 3-3 draw.   Isca’s 4-2 win over Team Bath Buccaneers 2s means they put daylight between themselves and the drop but Bath are relegated. 

DIVISION ONE NORTH TOP SCORERS

Simon Claris (Stourport) 26

Ghazanfar Ali (Deeside Ramblers) 12

Zak Buck (University of Nottingham) 11

Sam Dixon (Lindum) 10

Alfie Weaver (University of Birmingham) 10

DIVISION ONE NORTH CLEAN SHEETS

Yuvraj Singh Bhuhi (Loughborough Students) 4

Jamie Butler (University of Nottingham) 2

Tom Marshall (Brooklands MU) 2

DIVISION ONE SOUTH TOP SCORERS

Joe Naughalty (Sevenoaks) 20

Charlie Ellison (Reading) 12

Vlaccheslav Paviuk (Havant) 12

Rizwan Ali (Indian Gymkhana) 11

Daman Bansal (Indian Gymkhana) 11

Jake Bennett (Exeter University) 11

DIVISION ONE SOUTH CLEAN SHEETS

Jack Tranter (Old Loughtonians) 3

James Carleton (University of Exeter) 2

Peter Holdbury (Team Bath Buccaneers) 2

Rory Mylroi (Sevenoaks) 2

Chris Wyver (Reading) 2

CONFERENCE EAST TOP SCORERS

Connor Poulain (Tunbridge Wells) 11

Sebastian Shaw (Spencer) 11

Sam Paterson (London Wayfarers) 10

Adam Flett (Brighton & Hove) 9

Bill Gage (West Herts) 9

Neil Hamilton (Spencer) 9

Morgan Males (Surbiton 2) 9

Joseph Mulholland (Bromley & Beckenham) 9

CONFERENCE EAST CLEAN SHEETS

Matthew Cady (Bromley & Beckenham) 3

Lekan Ogunlana (Hampstead & Westminster 2) 3

Alex Rooney (London Wayfarers) 3

CONFERENCE MIDLANDS TOP SCORERS

Cameron Cooke (Norwich City) 16

David Agar (Chelmsford) 14

Muhammad Irfan (Barford Tigers) 14

Adam Dixon (Repton) 12

Myles King (Harleston Magpies) 12

Joshua Nunneley (Banbury) 12

CONFERENCE MIDLANDS CLEAN SHEETS

Ambrose Davis (Repton) 3

Will Powell (Banbury) 3

Simon Dolan (Norwich City) 2

James Stock (Chelmsford) 2

CONFERENCE NORTH TOP SCORERS

Will Musgrave (Ben Rhydding) 15

Ethan Price (Oxton) 14

Matt Gibson (Doncaster) 13

George Godwin (Leeds) 12

CONFERENCE NORTH CLEAN SHEETS

Robert Turner (Timperley) 4

Alexander Findlater (Sheffield) 3

George Bradley-Consitt (Leeds) 2

Tom Mealor (Oxton) 2

Martin Rose (Brooklands MU 2) 2

Jacob Van Bentum (Didsbury Northern) 2

CONFERENCE WEST TOP SCORERS

William Tristem (Guildford) 18

Ben Stone (Clifton Robinsons) 15

Ed Tristem (Guildford) 13

Cameron Baker (Guildford) 12

Sammy Dowds (Guildford) 12

CONFERENCE WEST CLEAN SHEETS

Conal Blackwell (Guildford) 5

Chris Bristow (Chichester) 4

Paddy Walton (Ashmoor) 4

Ben O’Sullivan (Clifton Robinsons) 3    
  

Barnes took a big step to the Womens Division One South title with a 4-1 win against their closest rivals Exeter University. Valentina Levy Favier and Alice Huddlestone gave Barnes an early lead and although Emma Williamson pulled a goal back in the third quarter, a second for Huddlestone and another by Rachel Goodwin sealed a win which means Barnes are now four points clear.  Third placed Southgate are out of the running but a 3-1 defeat of Wimbledon 2s means that Wimbledon cannot now avoid the drop. Emily Hicks hit a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Guildford for Harleston Magpies who are unbeaten since the break. Bristol Firebrands in eighth picked up a point in their fight to stay up, drawing 2-2 with Surbiton 2s. Sevenoaks, who are just above them, drew 0-0 with ninth placed Slough to keep a seven point gap above the drop zone. 

There is no change in Division One North where Durham University at the top keeping winning as do Beeston, three points back,  hoping for their rivals to slip up, Durham beat Olton & West Warwicks 6-1 with Lizzie Pocknell scoring three and Helena Youmans two. Beeston’s 8-0 defeat of Pendle Forest saw a a hat-trick for skipper Lauren Burrell. Pendle Forest slip to eighth with Gloucester City going above them after a fine 6-2 win at Wakefield that condemns the Yorkshire team to relegation. Leicester City trail Pendle Forest by three points after a 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Ben Rhydding. Buckingham came from 2-0 down to beat Repton 3-2.

Reading 2s were the first team to secure a title, winning Conference West after a 4-1 win over Clifton Robinsons 2s. Eliza Chippendale hit a hat-trick as Reading took an unassailable 11 point lead. Second placed Trojans drew 2-2 with Cheltenham who have moved up to fourth on the  back of an unbeaten post-break run. At the foot of the table Witney are relegated despite their 3-3 draw with Marlow. Exeter beat Lansdown 2-1 to move out of the bottom two, to be replaced by Swansea who went down 4-2 to  Team Bath Buccaneers.

Anna Rutherford scored twice as Conference North leaders Leeds won 4-0 at ninth placed Doncaster. They stay three points clear of Fylde who won 8-1 at relegated Harrogate with Jessica Wharton netting a hat-trick.  Didsbury Northern remain just above the relegation zone after a 2-0 defeat at Durham University 2s, the only home win the Division. Third placed Bowdon 2s were beaten 6-1 at home by Alderley Edge and Whitley Bay & Tynemouth won 3-1 at Newcastle University.

Loughborough Students 2s are just a point away from the Conference Midlands title after a 4-2 win at nearest rivals Cambridge City. Kirby Harris scored twice in a win that puts the students nine points clear.   The other matches all had a bearing on the other end of the table. Bottom side Bedford were beaten 7-0 at home by Birmingham University 2s. Cannock beat Stourport 1-0 to move onto 17 points, two clear of Beeston 2s who lost 4-2 at St Albans and three clear of  Oxford Hawks in ninth who conceded three goals in the last 12 minutes in losing 3-1 to Cambridge University.

Hampstead & Westminster 2s and Teddington remain level at the top of Conference East separated narrowly on goal difference. Both teams won 3-1 on Saturday. Leaders Hampstead surely also ending London Wayfarers title bid and Teddington leaving Sevenoaks 2s bottom the table. East London go above them on goal difference after a 1-1 draw with Old Georgians. There was an important 2-1 win for Canterbury at Wapping moving them a point above their opposition and four points ahead of the drop. Old Loughtonians beat Spencer 3-2.    
 

DIVISION ONE NORTH TOP SCORERS

Alice Conquest (Olton & West Warwicks) 15

Sophia Crawshay (Buckingham) 15

Lizzy Pocknell (Durham University) 15

Lauren Burrell (Beeston) 13

Isabelle Smith (Beeston) 11

DIVISION ONE NORTH CLEAN SHEETS

Gabrielle Barraco (Beeston) 10

Madeline Boyes (Durham University) 7

Amelia Jones (Buckingham) 5

DIVISION ONE SOUTH TOP SCORERS

Alice Huddlestone (Barnes) 10

Emily Barrett (Sevenoaks) 9

Katie McCallum (Southgate) 9

Maria Andrews (Bristol Firebrands) 7

Aleesa Ferguson (Barnes) 7

Amie Hunt (Surbiton 2) 7

Matilda Gibson (Surbiton 2) 7

DIVISION ONE SOUTH CLEAN SHEETS

Rose Thomas (Guildford) 6

Sophia Colman (Harleston Magpies) 5

Katie Martin-Fagg (Barnes) 5

CONFERENCE EAST TOP SCORERS

Olivia Lee-Smith (London Wayfarers) 12

Mel Ball (Teddington) 10

Bente Eggink (Hampstead & Westminster 2) 10

Katherine Round (East London) 9

CONFERENCE EAST CLEAN SHEETS

Cecily Wood (Teddington) 6

Frederique Briscoe (Hampstead & Westminster 2) 5

Jenna Broughton-Lloyd (Wapping) 5

CONFERENCE MIDLANDS TOP SCORERS

Emily McStea (Cambridge City) 18

Jodie Beddow (Cannock) 13

Amy Cradden (Loughborough Students 2) 8

Georgina Hampson (St. Albans) 8

Lottie Gill (Cambridge University) 8

CONFERENCE MIDLANDS CLEAN SHEETS

Millie Owton (Loughborough Students 2) 6

Serena Cole (Cambridge University) 3

Frances Taylor (Stourport) 3

Kate Brine (Oxford Hawks) 3

Heather Elder (Cambridge City) 3

CONFERENCE NORTH TOP SCORERS

Anna Rutherford (Leeds) 15

Jeorgia Carr (Bowdon 2) 9

Nicola Kellett (Fylde) 9

Georgia Lawes (Newcastle University) 9

Jessica Wharton (Fylde) 9

Megan Wildish (Fylde) 9

CONFERENCE NORTH CLEAN SHEETS

Ffion Horrell (Durham University 2) 4

Katie Barker (Fylde) 4

Grace Hardy (Bowdon 2) 4

Amy Keirl (Whitley Bay & Tynemouth) 4

CONFERENCE WEST TOP SCORERS

Amy Sheehan (Trojans) 16

Emma Fluff Howitt (Lansdown) 15

Claire Jones (Clifton Robinsons 2) 13

Eliza Chippendale (Reading 2) 10

Emily Hobbs (Cheltenham) 10

CONFERENCE WEST CLEAN SHEETS

Grace Diamond (Swansea) 4

Mia James (Reading 2) 4

Nicole Marks (Clifton Robinsons 2) 4

Alys Ramm (Marlow) 3

Victoria Waring (Lansdown) 3