The University of Birmingham beat reigning champions Surbiton in the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division, winning 3-1 on Saturday afternoon.
England and GB ace Lily Owsley fired them in front after eight minutes from a penalty corner, only for Rebecca Middleton to level for Surbiton four minutes later.
After the break Alice Wills put the University of Birmingham back in front from a 50th minute field goal, and Erica Sanders made sure of the win with a 59th minute goal from open play.
That result means that Holcombe’s 1-0 win over Bowdon Hightown was enough for them to take over at the top of the table, with Dirkie Chamberlain’s 19th minute field goal giving them the points.
Alex Malzer’s goal with two minutes remaining was enough for East Grinstead to beat Slough 1-0 and climb to fourth in the table, while Slough stay second.
Clifton Robinsons were 2-1 winners at Canterbury. Sarah Kerly gave the home side the lead in the ninth minute, but the visitors hit back with goals from Elena Emo and Hannah Coulson.
In the day’s other top-flight match, Leicester and Buckingham couldn’t be separated and a close match ended goalless.
Investec Conference East
Wimbledon pulled off the result of the day in the Investec Women’s Hockey League Conference East with a 9-0 defeat of Southgate.
Libby Sherriff opened the scoring in the sixth minute and Wimbledon were three up at the break with Laura Bevan and Anna Toman adding to the tally.
The floodgates opened in the second half with second goals for Sherriff and Bevan with Tamsyn Naylor, Crista Cullen, Kate Maxey and Nicola Lloyd all on target.
Hampstead and Westminster top the table with four wins from four thanks to a narrow 1-0 away win at Bedford. Sevenoaks are second – they also won 1-0 against Harleston Magpies. Cambridge City were worthy 3-0 winners against St Albans and Barnes beat Chelmsford 4-1.
Investec Conference North
Two goals from Barcelona Olympic legend Jane Sixsmith helped Sutton Coldfield to a 3-0 win over Fylde, and they remain top of the Investec Women’s Conference North table with a 100% record.
She struck in the second minute from open play and again five minutes later from a penalty corner. Emma McCabe scored their third eight minutes from time from a penalty corner.
Beeston are also on a 100% record after winning 1-0 at Brooklands Poynton, but they had to rely on Alice Huddlestone’s late goal to clinch the win and inflict their rivals’ first defeat of the campaign.
Elsewhere, Ben Rhydding were 3-0 winners at home against Loughborough Students, while the University of Durham won 2-1 against Timperley and Liverpool Sefton beat Wakefield 3-1 with Jane Bazley-Harrison scoring twice for the hosts.
Investec Conference West
Trojans are the only team in the Investec Women’s Conference West with a 100% record after they overcame Swansea City on Saturday.
Emma Teague’s 22nd minute strike put them ahead, and late goals from Imo Lea and Philippa Stewart helped them to victory.
Stourport dropped to second after they shared the spoils in a goalless match with Gloucester City.
Elsewhere, Lily Walker scored twice in Cannock’s 4-1 win over Oxford Hawks, while Reading moved third thanks to Keelie Perham’s two goals which helped them win 2-0 at Team Bath Buccaneers.
And Sally Walton scored twice as Olton & West Warwicks won 3-2 over Isca.
* The lead photo shows Alice Wills celebrating her goal against Surbiton. Credit: Andrew Smith.
This report has been provided on behalf of England Hockey by Snowdon Sports.
Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division
Results, Saturday 14 October 2017
| Home Team | Away Team | |||||
| Canterbury
Sarah Kerly (FG9) |
(1) | 1 | – | 2 | (1) | Clifton Robinsons
Elena Emo (FG15), Hannah Coulson (PC49) |
| East Grinstead
Alexandra Malzer (FG68) |
(0) | 1 | – | 0 | (0) | Slough |
| Holcombe
Dirkie Chamberlain (FG19) |
(1) | 1 | – | 0 | (0) | Bowdon |
| Leicester | (0) | 0 | – | 0 | (0) | Buckingham |
| University of Birmingham
Lily Owsley (PC8), Alice Wills (FG50), Erica Sanders (FG59) |
(1) | 3 | – | 1 | (1) | Surbiton
Rebecca Middleton (FG12) |
League table
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Holcombe | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| 2 | Slough | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 3 | Surbiton | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| 4 | East Grinstead | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 5 | University of Birmingham | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | Clifton Robinsons | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 6 |
| 7 | Buckingham | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 8 | Bowdon | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 4 |
| 9 | Leicester | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| 10 | Canterbury | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 1 |
Investec Women’s Hockey League Conference East
Results, Saturday 14 October 2017
| Home Team | Away Team | |||||
| Barnes
Zelda Berely (PC8), Trina Doyle (F29), Helen Paterson (F48), Lily Gigilow (PC56) |
(2) | 4 | – | 1 | (0) | Chelmsford
Amy Blackwell (F39) |
| Bedford | (0) | 0 | – | 1 | (0) | Hampstead & Westminster
Annabel Driver (PC42) |
| Harleston Magpies | (0) | 0 | – | 1 | (0) | Sevenoaks
Jen Wilson (PC40) |
| St. Albans
Teresa Figallo (PC42) |
(0) | 1 | – | 3 | (3) | Cambridge City
Holly Sheahan (FG20), Helen Richardson-Walsh (PC27) (PS35) |
| Wimbledon
Libby Sherriff (FG6) (FG58), Laura Bevan (FG17) (FG63), Anna Toman (PC18), Tamsyn Naylor (FG38), Crista Cullen (PC43), Kate Maxey (FG47), Nicola Lloyd (PS65) |
(3) | 9 | – | 0 | (0) | Southgate |
League table
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Hampstead & Westminster | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 19 | 12 |
| 2 | Sevenoaks | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 12 |
| 3 | Wimbledon | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 12 | 9 |
| 4 | Cambridge City | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 9 |
| 5 | Barnes | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 9 | -2 | 6 |
| 6 | Bedford | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 4 |
| 7 | Harleston Magpies | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 3 |
| 8 | Southgate | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 21 | -17 | 3 |
| 9 | Chelmsford | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 17 | -15 | 1 |
| 10 | St. Albans | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 11 | -8 | 0 |
Investec Women’s Hockey League Conference North
Results, Saturday 14 October 2017
| Home Team | Away Team | |||||
| Ben Rhydding
Kate Wood (FG17), Jenny Wilson (FG40), Lydia Clissitt (PC60) |
(1) | 3 | – | 0 | (0) | Loughborough Students’ |
| Brooklands-Poynton | (0) | 0 | – | 1 | (0) | Beeston
Alice Huddlestone (FG63) |
| University of Durham
Penny Joyce (F11), Anna Baker (F22) |
(2) | 2 | – | 1 | (0) | Timperley
Amanda Neurock (FG37) |
| Liverpool Sefton
Jane Bazley-Harrison (FG35) (FG67), Chloe Tyler (PC57) |
(1) | 3 | – | 1 | (0) | Wakefield
Alice Blades (PC54) |
| Sutton Coldfield
Jane Sixsmith (FG2) (PC7), Emma Mccabe (PC62) |
(2) | 3 | – | 0 | (0) | Fylde |
League table
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Sutton Coldfield | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 3 | 13 | 12 |
| 2 | Beeston | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 12 | 12 |
| 3 | Brooklands-Poynton | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 9 |
| 4 | Ben Rhydding | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| 5 | Fylde | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 6 | University of Durham | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 6 |
| 7 | Liverpool Sefton | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 14 | -10 | 3 |
| 8 | Wakefield | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 16 | -14 | 3 |
| 9 | Loughborough Students’ | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 11 | -7 | 0 |
| 10 | Timperley | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 12 | -8 | 0 |
Investec Women’s Hockey League Conference West
Results, Saturday 14 October 2017
| Home Team | HT |
FT |
HT | Away Team | ||
| Cannock
Sophie Tibbetts (PC17), Jodie Beddow (FG23), Lily Walker (FG41) (FG55) |
(2) | 4 | – | 1 | (1) | Oxford Hawks
Lucy Stewart (FG12) |
| Olton & West Warwicks
Katie Brough (FG15), Sally Walton (FG20) (FG63) |
(2) | 3 | – | 2 | (2) | Isca
Katherine Holdgate (PC14), Anna Mason (FG35) |
| Stourport | (0) | 0 | – | 0 | (0) | Gloucester City |
| Team Bath Buccaneers | (0) | 0 | – | 2 | (0) | Reading
Keelie Perham (PC39) (FG44) |
| Trojans
Emma Teague (PC22), Imo Lea (F66), Philippa Stewart (F69) |
(1) | 3 | – | 0 | (0) | Swansea City |
League table
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Trojans | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| 2 | Stourport | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 13 | 10 |
| 3 | Reading | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 10 |
| 4 | Gloucester City | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 5 | Swansea City | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| 6 | Olton & West Warwicks | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | -3 | 4 |
| 7 | Cannock | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 11 | -7 | 3 |
| 8 | Oxford Hawks | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 13 | -9 | 3 |
| 9 | Isca | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 1 |
| 10 | Team Bath Buccaneers | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 11 | -10 | 1 |
