Week 17 Review of the England Hockey League

Reading were able to celebrate a return to the Premier Division after a year’s break by taking the Mens Division One South crown. They did so in beating Team Bath Buccaneers 4-0 with goals from Charlie Ellison, Sam Welsh and Tom Minall (2). Their closest rivals Indian Gymkhana won 4-3 at Canterbury but the four point gap between the teams is now unassailable. Third placed Sevenoaks won 2-1 at Havant and Exeter University beat Old Loughtonians 6-0 with Harry Markham scoring three. A 1-0 loss at Teddington means that Bristol University are relegated. They will be joined by either Canterbury or Bath who meet at Polo Farm with Canterbury needing a win to send the away side down in their place. 

The outcome of the Mens Division One North title will go down to the final week as both title hopefuls won. Loughborough Students beat Birmingham University 4-2 and Brooklands U won 5-3 at Olton & West Warwicks with Carlon Mentoor netting a hat-trick. Loughborough need to beat Durham University on Sunday to clinch top spot, anything less then Brooklands, who play Nottingham University could leapfrog them. Deeside Ramblers ensured their safety with a 2-1 win at Durham on Saturday. Stourport, who were already relegated lost 2-0 at Nottingham. Deeside’s win meant that Lindum couldn’t catch them although they produced a fine 4-3 win against Harborne coming for behind three times before a 70th minute from Michael Harris. 

In Conference North champions Timperley were held 2-2 at Ben Rhydding, a useful point for the home team in their battle to avoid the drop. Relegated Wakefield beat Durham University 2s 2-0 to deny them reaching safety, they are a point ahead of Brooklands MU 2s in ninth, Brooklands lost 3-1 at home to Didsbury Northern. Leeds beat Oxton 5-0 and Sheffield lost 3-0 to Doncaster. Sheffield in sixth could still go down if all the teams from 7th to 9th win on Sunday and they lose heavily to Leeds. 

The Conference East race will go to the wire after leaders Surbiton 2s were held 2-2 at Bromley & Beckenham who have put together a credible nine match unbeaten run. London Wayfarers go level on points but with an inferior goal difference after they beat Tunbridge Wells 4-1. Brighton & Hove, another team with a strong post-Christmas run made it six wins in seven with a 6-5 win at Spencer that included a hat-trick for Sam Rose. At the foot of the table Old Cranleighan won 4-2 at relegated West Herts to move three points ahead of Tunbridge Wells, who they play this Sunday and Wimbledon 2s who lost 4-2 to Hampstead & Westminster 2s. On Sunday Surbiton host Hampstead and London Wayfarers are at home to Wimbledon. 

No game was separated by more than a goal in Conference Midlands. Champions Repton went down 3-2 at home to Chelmsford who are currently second. It was the same score-line at St Albans where third placed Norwich City won. Cambridge City stay bottom after a 5-4 loss at Nottingham University 2s who scored twice in the last four minutes to deny City any points. Harleston Magpies are now a point above them after drawing 3-3 with Barford Tigers. Birmingham University 2s a further point ahead, they drew 1-1 at Banbury. So two out of the bottom three will relegated after Sunday. Birmingham travel to Chelmsford, Cambridge to Barford and Harleston host Repton. 

Guildford clinched the Conference West crown with a 2-0 win at Oxford Hawks. Second half goals from Cameron Baker and Ed Tristem secured the win. They are unbeaten all season and five points clear of Clifton Robinsons who they play this Sunday; a 1-1 draw with Clifton in their first meeting, the only points they’ve dropped. Clifton beat Isca 9-1 at the weekend, with an amazing fourth successive hat-trick for Ben Stone and one for Micah Smithard too. Reading 2s relegation alongside Team Bath Buccaneers 2s was confirmed after a 6-1 loss at Chichester. This means they cannot catch eighth placed Fareham, who also lost, 3-0 at Exeter University 2s. Also relegated Team Bath Buccaneers 2s drew 1-1 with Ashmoor .

The eight Area League winners will be promoted to the league and to date the following champions are confirmed 

East – City of Peterborough 

London - Southgate 2s 

North West - Neston 

South Central – Marlow 

West – Cardiff & Met 2s 

Yorkshire & NE – Newcastle University 

For a summary of the top of each of the Area Premier Divisions see The Areas Page

DIVISION ONE NORTH TOP SCORERS

Simon Claris (Stourport) 26

Ghazanfar Ali (Deeside Ramblers) 14

Zak Buck (University of Nottingham) 12

Sam Dixon (Lindum) 11

Alfie Weaver (University of Birmingham) 11

DIVISION ONE NORTH CLEAN SHEETS

Yuvraj Singh Bhuhi (Loughborough Students) 4

Jamie Butler (University of Nottingham) 2

Tom Marshall (Brooklands MU) 2

David Wood (University of Nottingham) 2

DIVISION ONE SOUTH TOP SCORERS

Joe Naughalty (Sevenoaks) 20

Charlie Ellison (Reading) 14

Daman Bansal (Indian Gymkhana) 12

Oliver Macintyre (Old Loughtonians) 12

Vlaccheslav Paviuk (Havant) 12

DIVISION ONE SOUTH CLEAN SHEETS

Jack Tranter (Old Loughtonians) 3

James Carleton (University of Exeter) 3

Chris Wyver (Reading) 3

Peter Holdbury (Team Bath Buccaneers) 2

Rory Mylroi (Sevenoaks) 2

CONFERENCE EAST TOP SCORERS

Connor Poulain (Tunbridge Wells) 13

Sebastian Shaw (Spencer) 13

Joseph Mulholland (Bromley & Beckenham) 12

Morgan Males (Surbiton 2) 11

Adam Flett (Brighton & Hove) 10

Neil Hamilton (Spencer) 10

Sam Paterson (London Wayfarers) 10

CONFERENCE EAST CLEAN SHEETS

Matthew Cady (Bromley & Beckenham) 3

Lekan Ogunlana (Hampstead & Westminster 2) 3

Alex Rooney (London Wayfarers) 3

Chris Borsoi (Brighton & Hove) 2

Lucas Egloff (Old Cranleighan) 2

Dewi Roblin (Surbiton 2) 2

CONFERENCE MIDLANDS TOP SCORERS

Muhammad Irfan (Barford Tigers) 17

David Agar (Chelmsford) 16

Cameron Cooke (Norwich City) 16

Conor Annand (Cambridge City) 15

Joshua Nunneley (Banbury) 14

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) 14

Jack Fletcher (Leeds) 13

CONFERENCE NORTH CLEAN SHEETS

Robert Turner (Timperley) 5

George Bradley-Consitt (Leeds) 3

Alexander Findlater (Sheffield) 3

CONFERENCE WEST TOP SCORERS

Ben Stone (Clifton Robinsons) 21

William Tristem (Guildford) 20

Ed Tristem (Guildford) 15

Cameron Baker (Guildford) 13

Sammy Dowds (Guildford) 13

CONFERENCE WEST CLEAN SHEETS

Conal Blackwell (Guildford) 5

Paddy Walton (Ashmoor) 5

Chris Bristow (Chichester) 4

Ben O’Sullivan (Clifton Robinsons) 4

Barnes clinched the Womens Division One South title with a 5-2 win at last year’s champions Surbiton 2s. They must have feared it wouldn’t be their day when Surbiton raced into a two goal lead within 8 minutes. Aleesa Ferguson netted early in the second quarter and then completed her hat trick in the third before goals from Alice Huddlestone and Laura Tegner rounded off a great day for Barnes. Exeter University, who needed Barnes to lose to keep a hope of promotion won 3-1 against Southgate but to no avail. Relegated Wimbledon 2s won by the same score at Sevenoaks. Harleston Magpies move to a credible third after a 3-0 win over Bristol Firebrands, ahead of Guildford, who won 3-1 at relegated Slough, on goal difference.

The race for the Division One North title will go down to the final week. Leaders Durham University won 7-0 at relegated Wakefield with Evelyn Wilson scoring a hat-trick. They remain three points clear of Beeston who had a narrow 2-1 win over Repton with Katy Windsor netting both. This weekend Beeston travel to Ben Rhydding who beat Olton & West Warwicks 3-1 on Saturday. Durham face a trip to Gloucester City who have enjoyed a fine run in March with four successive wins, the latest a 5-3 defeat of Pendle Forest. Emma Done and Emily Austen both scored twice as Gloucester made it 20 goals in those four games. Pendle Forest are level on points with Leicester City, who stay ninth after a 3-1 home defeat at the hands of Buckingham. Leicester host Wakefield and Forest are at Buckingham on Saturday. 

In Conference West champions Reading 2s were held 1-1 at Cheltenham. Amy Sheehan hit a hat trick as second placed Trojans beat third placed Clifton Robinsons 2s 3-2. Team Bath Buccaneers and Lansdown drew 2-2. Exeter drew 1-1 with relegated Witney, only Witney’s fourth point of the campaign but the point was enough for Exeter to avoid relegation as Swansea lost 3-0 at Marlow which secured safety for the Buckinghamshire side as well as condemning Swansea to the drop. 

Leeds clinched the Conference North title with a 5-0 win over Bowdon 2s. Anna Rutherford (2), Alice Blades, Victoria Hill, Sophie Howland were on target in the win. Nearest rivals Fylde who trailed Leeds by three points going into Saturday’s games were held 4-4 by Durham University 2s for whom Alice Lamb hit a hat-trick including a 69th minute equaliser. At the other end of the table Doncaster picked up a potentially crucial point in a 1-1 draw at Alderley Edge to move two points above Didsbury Northern in ninth who lost 1-0 at home to Whitley Bay & Tynemouth. Newcastle University won 5-1 at relegated Harrogate. 

Champions Loughborough Students 2s drew 0-0 with student rivals Birmingham University 2s. Stourport’s Sade Gerald netted all three of Stourport’s goals in a 3-1 win over relegated Bedford. St Albans and Cambridge University drew 1-1. Ninth placed Oxford Hawks lost 3-2 at Cambridge City and Beeston 2s, who sit two points above them, also went down, 2-1 at home to Cannock. Beeston travel to Oxford this weekend with the home side needing a win to stay up which would send Beeston down in the process. 

The Conference East race will go down to the wire after front runners Hampstead & Westminster 2s and Teddington and remain locked on points after both drawing. Hampstead drew 1-1 with Wapping but Teddington were unable to take advantage and needed a 67th minute equaliser from Annika Golder to earn a point in a 3-3 draw with bottom of the table East London. A fine result for East London but not enough to stave off relegation. Teddington trail by a -2 inferior goal difference, and this Saturday they play at third placed London Wayfarers who beat Old Loughtonians 4-3 at the weekend. Hampstead play at Old Georgians. OGs all but secured safety with a 1-1 draw at Sevenoaks 2 on Saturday to lead the Kent side by three points but with a vastly superior goal difference. Canterbury also confirmed their EHL status with a 2-2 draw against Spencer.

The eight Area League winners will be promoted to the league and to date the following champions are confirmed 

East – Harleston Magpies 2s

Midlands – Nottingham Trent University 

South Central – Oxford University 

Yorkshire & NE - Sheffield 

For a summary of the top of each of the Area Premier Divisions see The Area Page

DIVISION ONE NORTH TOP SCORERS

Sophia Crawshay (Buckingham) 16

Lauren Burrell (Beeston) 15

Alice Conquest (Olton & West Warwicks) 15

Lizzy Pocknell (Durham University) 15

Evelyn Wilson (Durham University) 14

DIVISION ONE NORTH CLEAN SHEETS

Gabrielle Barraco (Beeston) 10

Madeline Boyes (Durham University) 9

Amelia Jones (Buckingham) 5

Charlotte Smith (Ben Rhydding) 4

DIVISION ONE SOUTH TOP SCORERS

Aleesa Ferguson (Barnes) 12

Alice Huddlestone (Barnes) 11

Emily Barrett (Sevenoaks) 9

Katie McCallum (Southgate) 9

Maria Andrews (Bristol Firebrands) 8

Amie Hunt (Surbiton 2) 8

DIVISION ONE SOUTH CLEAN SHEETS

Sophia Colman (Harleston Magpies) 7

Rose Thomas (Guildford) 6

Katie Martin-Fagg (Barnes) 6

Meg James (Sevenoaks) 4

CONFERENCE EAST TOP SCORERS

Olivia Lee-Smith (London Wayfarers) 13

Madeleine Newlyn (Old Loughtonians) 11

Mel Ball (Teddington) 10

Bente Eggink (Hampstead & Westminster 2) 10

Hannah Griggs (Spencer) 10

Katherine Round (East London) 9

CONFERENCE EAST CLEAN SHEETS

Cecily Wood (Teddington) 7

Frederique Briscoe (Hampstead & Westminster 2) 5

Jenna Broughton-Lloyd (Wapping) 5

CONFERENCE MIDLANDS TOP SCORERS

Emily McStea (Cambridge City) 18

Jodie Beddow (Cannock) 15

Lottie Gill (Cambridge University) 10

Amy Cradden (Loughborough Students 2) 9

Sade Gerald (Stourport) 9

CONFERENCE MIDLANDS CLEAN SHEETS

Millie Owton (Loughborough Students 2) 7

Serena Cole (Cambridge University) 3

Frances Taylor (Stourport) 3

Kate Brine (Oxford Hawks) 3

Heather Elder (Cambridge City) 3

Amy Hughes (University of Birmingham 2) 3

CONFERENCE NORTH TOP SCORERS

Anna Rutherford (Leeds) 17

Alice Lamb (Durham University 2) 12

Nicola Kellett (Fylde) 11

Georgia Lawes (Newcastle University) 10

Megan Wildish (Fylde) 10

CONFERENCE NORTH CLEAN SHEETS

Amy Keirl (Whitley Bay & Tynemouth) 5

Katie Barker (Fylde) 4

Grace Hardy (Bowdon 2) 4

Ffion Horrell (Durham University 2) 4

Naomi McCarthy (Leeds) 4

CONFERENCE WEST TOP SCORERS

Amy Sheehan (Trojans) 19

Emma Fluff Howitt (Lansdown) 17

Claire Jones (Clifton Robinsons 2) 13

Eliza Chippendale (Reading 2) 10

Emily Hobbs (Cheltenham) 10

CONFERENCE WEST CLEAN SHEETS

Mia James (Reading 2) 5

Grace Diamond (Swansea) 4

Nicole Marks (Clifton Robinsons 2) 4

Alys Ramm (Marlow) 4

Victoria Waring (Lansdown) 4