Results from Investec Women’s Hockey League 28th September 2019
Beeston 2-3 Holcombe
Hampstead & Westminster 3-2 Clifton Robinsons
Surbiton 2-1 East Grinstead
Buckingham 3-1 Univ of Birmingham
Loughborough Students 1-2 Bowdon Hightown
Two goals in the final five minutes helped Hampstead & Westminster beat plucky rivals Clifton Robinsons 3-2 and remain top of the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division on Saturday.
The London outfit looked to be heading for their first defeat of the season until late strikes from Grace Balsdon and Jo Leigh helped them hit back.
The visitors from Bristol had taken the lead after 17 minutes through Catherine Macaulay, and although Melanie Wilkinson levelled on 32 minutes Clifton Robinsons retook the lead with Phoebe Richards scoring from open play on 36 minutes.
However, Balsdon’s 65th minute goal from a penalty corner and Leigh’s 67th minute field goal proved the difference.
Surbiton kept pace at the top with a 2-1 win over East Grinstead.
Emily Gucklan and Darcy Bourne’s first half field goals gave the reigning champions a half time lead. East Grinstead got one back through Ellie Rayer but couldn’t find the equaliser as Surbiton stay second on goal difference.
Buckingham scored three second half goals to stay undefeated, beating the University of Birmingham 3-1.
Rafaela Brandao-Lee opened the scoring for University of Birmingham in the 18th minute but two goals in four minutes from Kitty Higgins and a clincher from Natasha James gave Buckingham all three points.
Alice Wills’ 57th minute strike proved decisive for Holcombe as they snatched a 3-2 win at Beeston.
Candice Manuel scored two goals for the eventual winners before Beeston’s Ali Eadie and Lauren Burrell drew Beeston level.
Wills’ strike helped Holcombe stay fourth as Beeston are still without a win and lie bottom of the table.
Bowdon Hightown overtook hosts Loughborough Students with a 2-1 victory.
Beth Peers gave the hosts and newly promoted team a 45th minute advantage. Aine Curran levelled two minutes later before Sian French put Bowdon Hightown ahead in the 69th minute.
Investec Women’s Division 1 North
Sally Walton was in great goalscoring form, netting three times in Olton & West Warwicks’ 4-2 win over Swansea in the Investec Women’s Division 1 North.
Swansea led 2-0 before Walton’s nine-minute hat-trick after the half, while Lara Knowles added Olton’s fourth in the 61st minute.
Anna Faux bagged two goals in Leicester City’s 4-0 victory over Brooklands Poynton to top the table after round one of the season.
Stourport’s Hannah Corcoran scored a last-minute penalty corner to see her side edge a 3-2 victory against hosts Gloucester City.
Ben Rhydding beat Belper 2-1 while the game between Leeds and University of Durham ended in a goalless draw.
Investec Women’s Division 1 South
Wimbledon kicked off the season in good fashion with a 6-1 win over Isca in the Investec Women’s Division 1 South.
Five different players found the net for Wimbledon with Olivia Chilton scoring twice to send them top of the table on the opening weekend of fixtures.
Trojans went 3-0 up after 52 minutes and despite conceding, managed to hold on for a 3-1 home win over St Albans.
Sevenoaks came from a goal behind to beat Cambridge City 2-1.
Jen Wilson equalised for Sevenoaks after Heidi Baber’s third minute goal for Cambridge; Nicola Skrastin ultimately gave Sevenoaks the three points with her 55th minute strike.
Jo Ellis’ 63rd minute field goal proved to be the difference as Reading beat visitors Slough 1-0.
Elsewhere, Canterbury and Harleston Magpies played out a 1-1 draw.
Investec Women’s Conference West
Surbiton’s second team are top of the Investec Women’s Conference West table after an emphatic 6-1 victory over Basingstoke.
Maddie Long was the pick of the bunch as she netted a hat-trick, while Hannah Denison also netted twice.
Cheltenham also opened their season with a win, beating Oxford University 3-1. Emily Hobbs found the net twice with Alice Shea scoring the other for Cheltenham.
Clifton Robinson’s second team edged a narrow win as Dayzee Moss’ 24th minute field goal proved the difference in a 1-0 win over Oxford Hawks.
Two goals from Olivia Sherwen gave the University of Bristol a point as they drew 2-2 with the University of Birmingham’s second team.
Elsewhere, Team Bath Buccaneers and Exe drew 0-0.
Investec Women’s Conference North
Sutton Coldfield were in fine form on the opening day of the Investec Women’s Conference North, securing a resounding 9-0 victory over Cannock.
Emma McCabe found the net five times for Sutton Coldfield while Charlotte Cross and Vicky Woolford both scored twice each to go top of the table.
The University of Nottingham beat Fylde 3-0 with two goals coming from Jordan Homann.
In a Yorkshire derby, two goals from Leah Davis gave Wakefield the spoils over Doncaster as the game finished 2-1.
Elsewhere, Timperley beat Alderley Edge 2-1 while Pendle Forest prevailed against Beeston’s second team by the same scoreline.
Investec Women’s Conference East
Bromley & Beckenham are top of the Investec Women’s Conference East following a 3-1 victory over hosts Chelmsford on the opening day of the season.
The eventual winners fell behind after just three minutes, but second half goals from Emma Greenway, Flor Zappulla and Vallisa Armstrong gave the visitors maximum points.
Goals in either half gave Broxbourne a 2-0 win over Ipswich while Southgate beat Canterbury’s second team by the same scoreline.
Elsewhere, Barnes finished 2-1 winners over Horsham and a goal in the last ten minutes helped Wimbledon’s second team edge Bedford in another 2-1 victory.
* Statistics, full goalscorers and tables from the Investec Women’s Hockey League are available by clicking here.
Courtesy of England Hockey
