Source: Andy Smith

Leicester battle the drop in the Investec Women’s Premier Division

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Bottom of the table Leicester face two important matches in the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division this weekend as they battle to avoid relegation.

A tough trip to Kent to play high-flying Holcombe on Saturday is followed by a home match against second-bottom Slough. Depending on other results, Leicester could climb to seventh.

“The last two or three years have been difficult for us because we’ve lost some good players and haven’t really been able to replace them with people of the same calibre,” said Leicester’s 1st XI manager Sue Holwell.

“The players we have got are playing some good stuff and we’re creating chances, but we just can’t seem to convert goals. These games are must win games for us.”

It could also be a crucial weekend for Slough who, as well as playing Leicester on Sunday, entertain leaders Surbiton on Saturday.

The University of Birmingham travel to Kent on Saturday to play Canterbury, while in other top flight action East Grinstead are at home against Buckingham and Bowdon Hightown entertain Clifton Robinsons.

The top two face off in the Investec Women’s Conference West, with leaders Trojans playing host to second-placed Stourport, who will leapfrog their rivals if they can win.

Meanwhile, third-placed Reading are at home against Olton & West Warwicks, while Swansea City are fourth and could also challenge for promotion. They go to bottom of the table Team Bath Buccaneers on Saturday.

Leaders Hampstead & Westminster go to Harleston Magpies aiming to extend their unbeaten run in the Investec Women’s Conference East, while second-placed Wimbledon go to bottom of the table Chelmsford.

Level on points with Wimbledon, Sevenoaks could climb into second spot if they can beat visitors St Albans on Saturday.

And in the Investec Women’s Conference North, Loughborough Students face a tough match at runaway leaders Beeston who have won all 15 of their league matches so far. Elsewhere, Brooklands-Poynton are at home against Sutton Coldfield.

* Following last week’s postponements due to weather all games have been rescheduled. The majority of these are on the slip date – 18 March – while a small number have been rearranged for this weekend. We are grateful to the great cooperation from clubs with these rearrangements. Full details are below.

The header photo shows Leicester’s Katie Mason (right) tracking a Buckingham opponent. 

Fixtures

Saturday, March 10 2018

Investec Women’s Hockey League

Investec Premier Division

Holcombe v Leicester 12:00

Slough v Surbiton 12:30

East Grinstead v Buckingham 13:30

Bowdon Hightown v Clifton Robinsons 13:45

Canterbury v Univ of Birmingham 14:00

Investec Conference East

Barnes v Southgate 13:30

Chelmsford v Wimbledon 14:00

Harleston Magpies v Hampstead & Westminster 14:00

Cambridge City v Bedford 15:30

Sevenoaks v St Albans 17:00

Investec Conference North

Brooklands-Poynton v Sutton Coldfield 12:00

Liverpool Sefton v Univ of Durham 12:30

Timperley v Fylde 12:30

Ben Rhydding v Wakefield 13:30

Beeston v Loughborough Students 14:00

Investec Conference West

Isca v Gloucester City 12:00

Oxford Hawks v Cannock 12:00

Trojans v Stourport 12:00

Team Bath Buccaneers v Swansea City 12:30

Reading v Olton & West Warwicks 16:30

Sunday, March 11 2018

Investec Premier Division

Leicester v Slough 13:00

Investec Conference West

Trojans v Isca 14:00

Saturday, March 17 2018

Investec Premier Division

Leicester v Univ of Birmingham 12:00

Slough v Bowdon 12:30

Clifton Robinsons v Buckingham 13:00

Surbiton v East Grinstead 14:00

Holcombe v Canterbury 16:00

Investec Conference East

St Albans v Hampstead & Westminster 13:00

Chelmsford v Barnes 14:00

Harleston Magpies v Bedford 14:00

Wimbledon v Cambridge City 14:00

Southgate v Sevenoaks 15:30

Investec Conference North

Brooklands-Poynton v Ben Rhydding 12:00

Liverpool Sefton v Beeston 12:30

Loughborough Students v Wakefield 12:30

Sutton Coldfield v Timperley 12:30

Univ of Durham v Fylde 14:30

Investec Conference West

Oxford Hawks v Reading 12:00

Swansea City v Olton & West Warwicks 12:00

Cannock v Trojans 12:30

Team Bath Buccaneers v Gloucester City 13:00

Stourport v Isca

Sunday, March 18 2018

Investec Premier Division

Univ of Birmingham v Slough 12:45

Buckingham v Bowdon Hightown 13:00

Leicester v Clifton Robinsons 13:00

Canterbury v East Grinstead 14:00

Investec Conference East

St Albans v Chelmsford TBC

Southgate v Harleston Magpies 12:30

Hampstead & Westminster v Sevenoaks 13:30

Cambridge City v Barnes 14:30

Bedford v Wimbledon 15:00

Investec Conference North

Loughborough Students v Liverpool Sefton 12:30

Fylde v Ben Rhydding 13:30

Sutton Coldfield v Univ of Durham 13:30

Wakefield v Brooklands-Poynton 15:30

Investec Conference West

Cannock v Reading 12:30

Gloucester City v Swansea City 12:30

Stourport v Team Bath Buccaneers 14:15

Olton & West Warwicks v Oxford Hawks 14:30

This report has been provided on behalf of England Hockey by Snowdon Sports.