Bottom club Buckingham came within just a few seconds of drawing with high-flying Holcombe in the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division last weekend, and on Saturday they will be gunning for another big name scalp in Surbiton.
A goal in the final few seconds saw Holcombe clinch a 3-2 win, but not before Buckingham had taken the lead earlier in a hard-fought match.
“We’re really looking forward to the challenge,” said Buckingham head coach Zak Jones. “It’s always good to measure yourself against the best teams in the country.
“The last few weeks we’ve been playing a bit better but struggled to get over the finish line. Surbiton beat us comfortably at their place earlier in the season, and we didn’t feel we did ourselves justice in the first half.
“It’s going to be a tough ask, but we’ve lost four of our games by just one goal so we don’t feel that we’re too far away from being competitive.”
In other top flight action on Saturday leaders the University of Birmingham go to Leicester as they bid to preserve their unbeaten stretch, and Bowdon Hightown are playing Clifton.
With both teams being in the top four, the Canterbury versus Holcombe match on Sunday should prove a tense affair, while Reading host East Grinstead at the same time with East Grinstead looking to move back into the top four should Holcombe slip up.
Having beaten leaders Slough last weekend, Harleston Magpies have a home match against higher-placed Hampstead and Westminster in the Investec Conference East on Saturday. Meanwhile, Slough go to second-placed Cambridge City as they bid to get back to winning ways.
Leaders Wakefield struggled to beat bottom club Liverpool Sefton last weekend, and will be looking for a better result when they go to Ben Rhydding on Saturday. Meanwhile, the University of Durham lie second and are at home against Springfields.
Stourport moved up to second in the Investec Conference West following their win over Trojans last weekend, and they take on leaders Sutton Coldfield on Saturday.
In other action, Gloucester City go to Olton and West Warwicks as they aim to build on the form which has seen them win four of their last five league matches.
* The photo above shows Buckingham’s Amie Hone (left) in action against the University of Birmingham.
Investec Women’s Hockey League (Saturday, November 21 2015):
Investec Premier Division
Buckingham v Surbiton 12:00
Bowdon Hightown v Clifton 13:45
Leicester v Univ of Birmingham 14:00
Investec Conference East
Cambridge City v Slough 12:30
Maidenhead v St Albans 13:30
Wimbledon v Sevenoaks 14:00
Harleston Magpies v Hampstead and Westminster 14:00
Ipswich v Chelmsford 14:00
Investec Conference North
Brooklands Poynton v Whitley Bay and Tynemouth 11:45
Univ of Durham v Springfields 12:00
Beeston v Belper 12:00
Liverpool Sefton v Loughborough Students 12:30
Ben Rhydding v Wakefield 13:30
Investec Conference West
Olton and West Warwicks v Gloucester City 12:00
Bristol Firebrands v Trojans 15:00
Isca v Oxford Hawks 12:30
Univ of Bristol v Swansea City 13:00
Sutton Coldfield v Stourport 14:00
Investec Women’s Hockey League (Sunday, November 22 2015):
Investec Premier Division
Canterbury v Holcombe 12:30
Reading v East Grinstead 12:30
