After securing their first win of the season with a late goal last weekend, Bowdon Hightown head to leaders Hampstead & Westminster in search of another victory in the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division on Saturday.
Sian French’s 69th minute strike saw the Cheshire outfit battle back from behind at Loughborough Students on Saturday, and they will be aiming to take that fighting spirit into their clash with their high-flying opponents.
“We have seen footage of Hampstead & Westminster, however we will be concentrating on what we can do and not the opposition. But we’re very much looking forward to welcoming them to Bowdon Hockey Club,” said Bowdon Hightown manager Sam Lackey.
“Our aims this season are to try and make the play-offs after several years of maintaining our position in the league and see where that takes us.
“We have been lucky enough to retain all our players from last year; the younger ones have a year’s Premier Division experience and they have come on hugely. We are also very fortunate in the return of Xenna Hughes from East Grinstead and of the addition of U16 England player Beth Alexander from Brooklands Poynton.
“We also have two New Zealand players joining us this season – Alex Lukin and Emma Rainey, so very excited to see what they bring to Bowdon Hightown from the NZ game.”
Elsewhere, Surbiton have also won all three of their opening matches and they go to Clifton Robinsons this Saturday in search of another victory. The Bristol side were leading against Hampstead & Westminster last weekend until two goals in the last five minutes saw the Londoners snatch the win.
Buckingham are also on the road with a match at East Grinstead, who are still searching for their first points of the season.
The University of Birmingham host Beeston with both teams looking for their first win, and Holcombe are at home against Loughborough Students in the top flight’s other clash.
In the Investec Women’s Division 1 North, Olton & West Warwicks head to Stourport with both sides having won their opening matches.
Table toppers Leicester City are at home against Leeds, while Ben Rhydding go to Brooklands-Poynton in search of a second win in as many matches too.
And it’s a top two clash in the Investec Women’s Division 1 South as Trojans host Wimbledon with both sides having secured impressive wins in week one.
Elsewhere Sevenoaks go to Isca as they bid to make it two wins out of two, while Reading are at home against Cambridge.
FIXTURES
Investec Women’s Hockey League (Sat, 5 October 2019):
Investec Premier Division
Clifton Robinsons v Surbiton 13:00
Bowdon Hightown v Hampstead & Westminster 13:45
Univ of Birmingham v Beeston 14:15
East Grinstead v Buckingham 16:30
Holcombe v Loughborough Students 16:30
Investec Division 1 North
Brooklands-Poynton v Ben Rhydding 11:45
Swansea v Belper 12:00
Leicester City v Leeds 14:00
Univ of Durham v Gloucester City 15:00
Stourport v Olton & West Warwicks 18:00
Investec Division 1 South
Isca v Sevenoaks 12:00
Trojans v Wimbledon 12:00
Slough v Harleston Magpies 12:15
Canterbury v St Albans 14:00
Reading v Cambridge City 16:30
Investec Conference East
Ipswich v Barnes 12:00
Wimbledon v Canterbury 13:30
Horsham v Chelmsford 14:00
Broxbourne v Bromley & Beckenham 14:30
Bedford v Southgate 15:00
Investec Conference North
Pendle Forest v Wakefield 11:30
Sutton Coldfield v Beeston 12:30
Univ of Nottingham v Doncaster 13:00
Alderley Edge v Fylde 14:00
Timperley v Cannock 14:15
Investec Conference West
Oxford Hawks v Team Bath Buccaneers 12:00
Univ of Birmingham v Oxford University 12:30
Exe v Cheltenham 13:00
Basingstoke v Univ of Bristol 14:00
Clifton Robinsons v Surbiton 14:00
Courtesy of England Hockey
