Leicester edged to a thrilling 4-3 victory over Clifton in the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division on Saturday. Goals from Lizzy Honarmand, Liz George and Rachel Mack had Leicester 3-0 up before Jessica Bloom and Claire Thomas reduced the arrears to 3-2 at the break.
Els Mansell equalised for Clifton early in the second half, but Holly Payne struck moments later for Leicester to deny the spirited visitors.
The University of Birmingham stay top after they won 2-1 at home to Holcombe, Hannah Martin and Holly Hunt getting the goals before Kim Leiper clawed one back.
Surbiton are into second after they edged out Canterbury 4-3, Sarah Haycroft scoring the vital goal late on after first half strikes from Jenna Woolven, Rebecca Herbert and Charlotte Calnan.
A Grace Balsdon brace and another goal from Mel Clewlow gave Canterbury hope late on but Surbiton held on to move to within a point of Birmingham.
Sally Walton got the only goal as Bowdon Hightown won for the first time this season, the goal coming shortly before half time as Buckingham remain winless on a single point.
Investec Conference North
Wakefield needed a last minute goal from Rosie Tootell to see off Whitley Bay and Tynemouth 2-1 and stay top of the Investec Conference North on Saturday.
Kerry-Anne Hastings looked to have a rescued a point for the hosts when she cancelled out Rosie Dent’s first half strike but Tootell’s last gasp goal was enough to maintain Wakefield’s perfect start to the season.
Loughborough Students stay second after they won 2-1 away at Springfields, and the University of Durham moved up into third with a 2-1 win at home to Beeston.
Belper were held 1-1 at home by Liverpool Sefton and Brooklands Poynton played out a goalless draw against Ben Rhydding.
Investec Conference West
Swansea City took Sutton Coldfield’s place at the top of the Investec Conference West table by beating them 2-1.
Goals from Sophie Clayton and Nat Blyth gave Swansea a two-goal lead and although Jennifer Parkinson-Mills pulled one back for Sutton Coldfield with a penalty stroke, they couldn’t draw level.
The University of Bristol continue to search for their first point as they lost 2-1 to Isca. Trojans took a narrow 1-0 win against Gloucester City, Bristol Firebrands drew 1-1 with Olton and West Warwicks and there was no score in the match between Oxford Hawks and Stourport.
Investec Conference East
Slough’s perfect start to the Investec Conference East season continued in spectacular form as Amy Sheehan’s hat-trick led them to an 8-2 win over Maidenhead.
Charly Brydon scored a brace and their other goals came through Jo Bryant, Philipa Newton and Louise Bevan. Maidenhead are still without a point.
Hampstead and Westminster remain second despite losing 2-1 to Chelmsford. Harleston Magpies and St Albans drew 0-0 and the game between Wimbledon and Cambridge City ended 1-1. Ipswich and Sevenoaks also drew 1-1.
* Above photo shows Leicester goalscorer Rachel Mack.
Investec Women’s Hockey League (Saturday, October 4 2015):
Investec Women’s Premier Division: Buckingham 0, Bowdon Hightown 1; University of Birmingham 2, Holcombe 0; Leicester 4, Clifton 3; Surbiton 4, Canterbury 3.
Investec Women’s Conference East: Hampstead and Westminster 1, Chelmsford 2; Maidenhead 2, Slough 8; Harleston Magpies 0, St Albans 0; Wimbledon 1, Cambridge City 1; Ipswich 1, Sevenoaks 1.
Investec Women’s Conference North: Brooklands Poynton 0, Ben Rhydding; Belper 1, Liverpool Sefton 1; University of Durham 2, Beeston 1; Whitley Bay and Tynemouth 1, Wakefield 2; Springfields 1, Loughborough Students 2.
Investec Women’s Conference West: Bristol Firebrands 1, Olton and West Warwicks 1; Gloucester City 0, Trojans 1; Oxford Hawks 0, Stourport 0; University of Bristol 1, Isca 2; Sutton Coldfield 1, Swansea City 2.
| Women’s Premier Division |
| Surbiton | (3) | 4 | – | 3 | (2) | Canterbury | ||||
| Jenna Woolven 5 – PC Charlotte Calnan 23 – F Rebecca Herbert 28 – F Sarah Haycroft 67 – F |
Mel Clewlow 10 – PC Grace Balsdon 33 69 – PC PC |
|||||||||
| University of Birmingham | (2) | 2 | – | 1 | (0) | Holcombe | ||||
| Hannah Martin 11 – F Holly Hunt 20 – F |
Kim Leiper 37 – PC | |||||||||
| Buckingham | (0) | 0 | – | 1 | (1) | Bowdon Hightown | ||||
| Sally Walton 30 – F | ||||||||||
| Leicester | (3) | 4 | – | 3 | (2) | Clifton | ||||
| Elizabeth Honarmand 2 – PC Liz George 8 – PC Rachel Mack 28 – F Holly Payne 54 – F |
Jessica Bloom 31 – F Claire Thomas 34 – F Els Mansell 43 – F |
|||||||||
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
| 1 | University of Birmingham | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 13 | 12 |
| 2 | Surbiton | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 8 |
| 3 | Canterbury | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 7 |
| 4 | East Grinstead | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 7 |
| 5 | Leicester | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 10 | -5 | 6 |
| 6 | Clifton | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 11 | -4 | 4 |
| 7 | Bowdon Hightown | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 4 |
| 8 | Holcombe | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 2 |
| 9 | Buckingham | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 10 | -8 | 1 |
| 10 | Reading | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 11 | -10 | 1 |
| Women’s Conference East |
| Harleston Magpies | (0) | 0 | – | 0 | (0) | St. Albans | ||||
| Ipswich | (0) | 1 | – | 1 | (0) | Sevenoaks | ||||
| Sarah Bamfield 40 – F | Susanna Finlayson 70 – PC | |||||||||
| Wimbledon | (0) | 1 | – | 1 | (0) | Cambridge City | ||||
| Amy Tippen 37 – PC | Tess Howard 52 – PC | |||||||||
| Hampstead and Westminster | (1) | 1 | – | 2 | (1) | Chelmsford | ||||
| Alice Garrad 27 – F | Kate Taylor 20 – F Victoria Clark 36 – F |
|||||||||
| Maidenhead | (2) | 2 | – | 8 | (3) | Slough | ||||
| Alison Lubbock 34 – F Cheryl Valentine 34 – PC |
Louise Bevan 11 – F Jo Bryant 16 – F Amy Sheehan 28 55 70 – F F F Philipa Newton 52 – F Charly Brydon 65 67 – F F |
|||||||||
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
| 1 | Slough | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | 16 | 12 |
| 2 | Hampstead and Westminster | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 9 |
| 3 | Cambridge City | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 4 | St. Albans | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 11 | -1 | 7 |
| 5 | Wimbledon | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | Harleston Magpies | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 7 | Chelmsford | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 5 |
| 8 | Ipswich | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 2 |
| 9 | Sevenoaks | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | -8 | 1 |
| 10 | Maidenhead | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 18 | -10 | 0 |
| Women’s Conference North |
| Springfields | (1) | 1 | – | 2 | (2) | Loughborough Students | ||||
| Leanne Sharples 14 – F | Megan Lewis-Williams 7 11 – PC PC | |||||||||
| Brooklands Poynton | (0) | 0 | – | 0 | (0) | Ben Rhydding | ||||
| Belper | (1) | 1 | – | 1 | (0) | Liverpool Sefton | ||||
| Chloe Sherratt 13 – PC | Jane Bazley-Harrison 68 – F | |||||||||
| University of Durham | (1) | 2 | – | 1 | (1) | Beeston | ||||
| Anna Baker 6 – F Lorna Bennell 68 – F |
Sophie Robinson 18 – F | |||||||||
| Whitley Bay and Tynemouth | (0) | 1 | – | 2 | (1) | Wakefield | ||||
| Kerry-Anne Hastings 55 – PC | Rachael Dent 16 – F Rosie Tootell 70 – PC |
|||||||||
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
| 1 | Wakefield | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| 2 | Loughborough Students | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 3 | University of Durham | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 7 |
| 4 | Ben Rhydding | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| 5 | Whitley Bay and Tynemouth | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
| 6 | Beeston | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 4 |
| 7 | Brooklands Poynton | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | Liverpool Sefton | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | -5 | 4 |
| 9 | Springfields | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | -6 | 1 |
| 10 | Belper | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 11 | -7 | 1 |
| Women’s Conference West |
| Bristol Firebrands | (0) | 1 | – | 1 | (1) | Olton & West Warwicks | ||||
| Tam Pascoe 47 – F | Emma Rosser 28 – PC | |||||||||
| Gloucester City | (0) | 0 | – | 1 | (1) | Trojans | ||||
| Kewley Mccaskill 28 – F | ||||||||||
| Sutton Coldfield | (0) | 1 | – | 2 | (1) | Swansea City | ||||
| Jennifer Parkinson-Mills 54 – PS | Sophie Clayton 26 – PC Natalie Blyth 53 – PC |
|||||||||
| University of Bristol | (1) | 1 | – | 2 | (0) | Isca University | ||||
| Ella Cave 26 – F | Laura Fry 49 – F Clare Poole 65 – F |
|||||||||
| Oxford Hawks | (0) | 0 | – | 0 | (0) | Stourport | ||||
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
| 1 | Swansea City | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 12 |
| 2 | Sutton Coldfield | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 3 | 19 | 9 |
| 3 | Stourport | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| 4 | Oxford Hawks | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 5 | Isca University | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 6 | Gloucester City | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| 7 | Olton & West Warwicks | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 4 |
| 8 | Trojans | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 10 | -6 | 3 |
| 9 | Bristol Firebrands | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 17 | -11 | 1 |
| 10 | University of Bristol | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 24 | -22 | 0 |
This report is courtesy of England Hockey via Snowdon Sports.
