Week 13 Review of the England Hockey League

Men's Division One North leaders Loughborough Students were made to work hard for the points at struggling Lindum finally coming out 4-3 winners despite a hat trick for the home team’s Sam Dixon. They stay four points clear of Brooklands MU who beat Durham University 4-0. Nottingham University are third after their 3-1 win over Olton & West Warwicks. Olton are one of four teams on 15 points. The others are Harborne and Deeside Ramblers who drew 4-4 and Birmingham University who won 4-2 at tenth placed Stourport.

Reading have a similar advantage at the top of Division One South. They won 4-2 at Sevenoaks with two more corners from Charlie Ellison  helping them overcome doughty opposition who led twice. Second placed Indian Gymkhana won a tight West London derby 3-2 against Teddington, a game played at Surbiton. Bottom of the table Canterbury lost 4-1 at Exeter University with two goals for Jonny Sturch-Hibbitt before he left with England for the forthcoming Pro League matches in India. Havant and Old Loughtonians drew 2-2 and the Team Bath Buccaneers – Bristol University game was abandoned due to fog.

Timperley maintained a six point advantage at the top of Conference North after a 1-1 draw at nearest rivals Leeds. Leeds got off to the best possible start, Alex Fletcher scoring in the first minute but Jake Holland equalised to give Timperley a share of the spoils that they will be the happier with. Didsbury Northern and Sheffield also drew 1-1 and third placed Doncaster beat Oxton 4-3. The bottom four met in two games with 10th placed Wakefield closing the gap on Ben Rhydding, who are now just two points above them, after a 2-1 win in their Yorkshire derby. Durham University 2s move above Ben Rhydding and Brooklands MU 2s who they beat 1-0.

Surbiton 2s saw their lead at the top of Conference East cut to a point after they were beaten 2-1 by Wimbledon 2s. Spencer go second, leap frogging London Wayfarers, thanks to a 5-2 win in their meeting.  Bromley & Beckenham and Tunbridge Wells played out a goal laden 70 minutes with hat-tricks for both BromBecks’ Noah Goddard and Wells’ Connor Poulain, BromBeck running out 7-5 winners.   Tunbridge Wells go down to ninth as Brighton & Hove move up the table off the back of a 2-1 win at bottom side West Herts. Hampstead & Westminster 2s and Old Cranleighan drew 1-1.

It was a good day for Conference Midlands leaders Repton. They beat Barford Tigers 6-2 and saw their nearest rivals drop points to end the day five points clear. Second placed St Albans looked like they had earned a point at Banbury when Ian Scanlon grabbed a 69^th minute equaliser only for Connor Roberts to hit a winner for the home side just before the final whistle to end the game 3-2. Third placed Chelmsford also won 3-2 at Nottingham University 2s whilst Cameron Cooke scored all three goals as Norwich City took the Norfolk honours in a 3-0 win over bottom of the table Harleston Magpies. Just above them Cambridge City swapped places with Birmingham University 2s after a 4-2 win over the students.

Guildford are now five points clear in Conference West. They won 7-2 at Exeter University 2s, William Tristem netting a hat-trick. Clifton Robinsons lost ground after a 1-1 draw at Ashmoor. Team Bath Buccaneers 2s are rooted to last place after a 4-0 home defeat at the hands of Chichester. Isca jumped out of the bottom two thanks to a 1-0 win at Oxford Hawks and they are replaced by Reading 2s who went down 2-1 at Fareham.

Barnes stay top of Women’s Division One South but their lead is cut to one point after they could only draw, 0-0 at fellow title hopefuls Guildford, on Saturday.  4^th and 5^th placed Surbiton 2s and Southgate both also drew, 2-2, against Wimbledon 2s and Harleston Magpies respectively. The only winners in the top half of the table were second placed Exeter University, whose 3-1 defeat of Slough means they close the gap to the leaders. Slough remain ninth but are three points behind eighth place, now occupied by Sevenoaks who were beaten 2-0 at Bristol Firebrands. Firebrands jumped above them in the process after extending their unbeaten run to three games. 

Durham University got back to winning ways at the top of Division One North with a 3-0 defeat of Repton. They are three points clear of Beeston who beat Gloucester City 4-0. Buckingham keep in touch thanks to a 3-2 win at Olton & WW. Olivia Back’s goal was enough for Leicester City to overcome Pendle Forest 1-0 and move out of the relegation spots. Wakefield remain bottom with Rita Box’s 68^th minute goal the only one of the game and giving Ben Rhydding three points from their Yorkshire derby.

Reading 2s extended their lead at the top of Conference West to eight points after a 2-0 win at Marlow. Their nearest rivals, Clifton Robinsons 2, were held to a 1-1 draw by Lansdown. Amy Sheehan hit a hat-trick as third placed Trojans beat Swansea 4-2 and Cheltenham move up to fourth following their 2-1 defeat of bottom of the table Witney. Team Bath Buccaneers put a sizeable gap between themselves and the relegation places with a 3-0 win at ninth placed Exeter.

There were narrow away wins in the North East for the top three in Conference North meaning status quo after the weekend’s games. Leaders Fylde won 3-2 at Newcastle University.  Leeds won 1-0 at Durham University 2s to stay two points back and Bowdon 2s were 2-1 winners at Whitley Bay & Tynemouth, a further two points of top spot. Alderley Edge also had a tight away win, returning from Didsbury Northern 3-2 victors. The only home team to have any success were ninth placed Doncaster who beat bottom of the table Harrogate 2-1 and they are now within two points of Didsbury.  

An Amy Cradden corner was the only goal of the game to give Loughborough Students 2s a 1-0 win over Cambridge University and stay four points clear at the top of Conference Midlands. Emily McStea hit her second hat-trick in as many weeks as Cambridge City stay second thanks to a 5-1 win over Birmingham University 2s. Cannock came from 3-0 down with 12 minutes to go to take a point at bottom of the table Bedford. Cannock still slip to ninth as Oxford Hawks move above them after a 1-0 win at St Albans. Stourport won 2-1 at Beeston 2s.

Teddington maintained top spot in Conference East thanks to a 3-0 defeat of Wapping.  Bente Eggink netted a treble  for second placed Hampstead & Westminster 2s in a 4-0 win against Sevenoaks 2s. London Wayfarers are now six points behind Teddington after being held 1-1 at Old Georgians.  Spencer won 2-0 at bottom of the table East London and Old Loughtonians beat Canterbury at Polo Farm by the same scoreline.