England Hockey has fully considered other sports’ decisions at this time, as well as other possible options open to us before coming to these solutions. Compared to other possible alternatives these are judged to negatively and positively impact a smaller number of teams.

There is of course no perfect solution to resolve an unprecedented issue such as this, but the decisions best complement these principles and affect the fewest teams. Ultimately, decisions have been based on what has happened in 85 out of 90 games in a Division, not what might happen in five out of 90 games. A number of promotion and relegation issues were ordinarily resolved prior to the last round of matches not being played.

Following a full analysis of all possible options and a period of discussion, the key points are summarised below:

i. League Finals – As the league semi finals and final were unplayed the Champions of the League and qualification for European competition will be determined by the standings at the end of the regular season. This means that Surbiton are both men’s and women’s league champions.

ii. Promotion & Relegation – Teams’ standings when the league stopped will be their final standings. Existing promotion and relegation regulations will be applied based on these standings (subject to iii below), including promotion from Regional Leagues. In the Investec Women’s Hockey League, Swansea and Wimbledon are promoted into the Premier Division, while Oxted and University of Durham enter the Men’s Premier Division.

iii. League Play-offs – It is judged that there is no fair method to resolve the league play-offs in line with regulations. Under normal circumstances, the play-offs would see the two Division One North & South winners and the Premier Division ninth-placed team play off for two Premier Division places. For 2020-21 season only the Premier Division will run with eleven teams, all of these three teams will play in the Premier Division. This also means that one team is reprieved relegation at both Division One and Conference levels. Existing relegation regulations at these levels, based on teams’ playing records in parallel divisions, have been extended to determine which teams are reprieved.

England Hockey took this decision guided by the following principles.

These were in priority order:

1) To retain the integrity of the competition and use existing regulations relating to promotion and relegation where possible – the outcome to be as close as possible to likely outcome for teams had the season concluded and therefore to be seen as fair.

2) A consistency of decisions for teams at different levels within the league.

3) Teams not to be disadvantaged by games that were not played.

Nick Pink, England Hockey Chief Executive stated, “These are unprecedented times for all of us, and we are grateful to clubs for their patience while we finalised the fairest course of action. We have undertaken a very thorough process and have arrived at a solution that gives us a roadmap of how we can get the Leagues back up and running as soon as possible. We congratulate all teams who have won their division. We commiserate with relegated teams and others negatively impacted by the season being curtailed.”

The decision has a direct impact on the 2020-21 season. The process to determine which teams are in North and South divisions will now begin. All being well the season will begin on 26/27 September 2020 but we will put contingencies in place if the start date proves to be later.

As part of the discussion process, England Hockey provided information on this matter to a small number of people. We are very disappointed in the breach of trust that has led to this information reaching the public domain earlier than intended. We are particularly unhappy that we did not have the chance to give the clubs affected by our decision the courtesy of a call before the information went public. Interested parties should also note that an article published elsewhere was not accurate and errors should be disregarded.

Courtesy of England Hockey

Defeat could cast either side into the relegation play-offs, while for Holcombe a big win could be enough to scrape into the top four and the title play-offs.
The two sides drew 1-1 when they met earlier in the season. But a run of three losses for Loughborough Students may give the edge to Holcombe, who have not lost their last two matches.

“There is everything still to play for and to a greater extent it’s in our hands,” said Loughborough Students’ Head Coach Brett Holland. “We know the strengths of Holcombe but are happy to be playing at home knowing that this is our cup final.

“We’ve learnt so much this season as a group and with the extra pressure on results currently it will allow us to learn even more. There are certainly no easy games in the Premier League, it’s relentless. The league table could be moving and shaking regularly from 2pm on Saturday.”

“Our overarching aim of the season was to be competitive in all matches,” added Holland. “We feel we’re achieving this, getting results against most teams over the season, and sitting in the top half of the table for most of the season.

“But we look back and know we’ve missed opportunities to pick up more points; often having more possession, more chances and playing some really nice hockey to not come away with the win often enough.”

Elsewhere, the University of Birmingham host Buckingham knowing they need a win to be assured of safety, while Beeston could also face relegation play-offs if they lose at Hampstead & Westminster.

Currently third, Hampstead could go second and secure home advantage for the play-offs if they win and East Grinstead lose to top of the table Surbiton.

And in the day’s other top-flight match Clifton Robinsons host relegated Bowdon Hightown and could also make it into the top four if other results go their way.

Second-placed Swansea host third-placed University of Durham in the Investec Division One North, with both sides desperate for points to keep their title hopes alive.

Leicester City are currently top of the table and go to Brooklands-Poynton. If they win and Swansea City lose, the title goes to the Midlands side. If both win, the division will be decided on the last day of the regular season.

At the other end of the table Belper and Leeds are desperate for victory this weekend to avoid the drop. Currently bottom, Leeds host Ben Rhydding, while Belper are at home against Gloucester City.

And in the Investec Division One South champions Wimbledon host Cambridge City looking to maintain their 100% league record this season. At the other end of the table Isca go to Slough desperate for points in their battle to avoid the drop.

* The Oxford University versus Team Bath Buccaneers game that was postponed on 15 February has been awarded to Bath as a 3-0 win due to Oxford being unable to fulfill the replayed fixture in line with league regulations.

Fixtures
Investec Women’s Hockey League (Sat, 14 March 2020):

Investec Premier Division
Clifton Robinsons v Bowdon Hightown 14:00 (at Golden Hill)
East Grinstead v Surbiton 14:00
Hampstead & Westminster v Beeston 14:00
Loughborough Students v Holcombe 14:00
Univ of Birmingham v Buckingham 14:00

Investec Division One North
Swansea v Univ of Durham 10:30
Brooklands-Poynton v Leicester City 11:45
Olton & West Warwicks v Stourport 12:00
Belper v Gloucester City 13:30
Leeds v Ben Rhydding 14:00

Investec Division One South
Slough v Isca 12:15
Harleston Magpies v Reading 13:30
Canterbury v Trojans 14:00
Wimbledon v Cambridge City 15:45
Sevenoaks v St Albans 17:00

Investec Conference East
Barnes v Horsham 12:00
Ipswich v Wimbledon 2s 12:00
Bromley & Beckenham v Broxbourne 12:30
Bedford v Canterbury 2s 13:30
Chelmsford v Southgate 15:00

Investec Conference North
Pendle Forest v Sutton Coldfield 12:00
Univ of Nottingham v Timperley 13:00
Beeston 2s v Fylde 14:00
Cannock v Alderley Edge 14:00
Wakefield v Doncaster 14:00

Investec Conference West
Oxford Hawks v Exe 12:00
Univ of Birmingham 2s v Cheltenham 12:15
Oxford University v Clifton Robinsons 2s 12:30
Team Bath Buccaneers v Basingstoke 12:30
Univ of Bristol v Surbiton 2s 13:15

Hampstead currently boast the best attack in the league this season, averaging 3.25 goals per game. But they face a Surbiton side with the best defensive record, having conceded just over one goal per game.

“We’re really excited about the game on Saturday. The squad is at full strength and of course, it’s great to have the GB girls with us,” said Hampstead co-captain Katherine Baker.

“We know Surbiton will be a tough opposition – their record in the league speaks for itself – but we’re focused on our hockey and excited to show what we’re made of.

“We’ve had a strong start to our first season in the Premier Division, and this weekend is another great opportunity for us to play some high quality hockey and go into battle at the top of the table. It should be a great one for the fans!”

Third-placed Holcombe play host to bottom of the table Bowdon Hightown as they bid to stay in the play-off places, while fourth-placed Buckingham have a home game against an East Grinstead who are currently fifth but could leap-frog them with a win.

Loughborough Students could also move into the top four if they win at Clifton Robinsons and other results go in their favour, while the University of Birmingham go to Beeston in the day’s other top flight match.

Unbeaten Wimbledon head to Cambridge City in the Investec Division One South on Saturday, as they look to make it seven wins in a row.

Meanwhile, second-placed Reading are also on the road with a trip to Berkshire rivals Slough.

And in the Investec Division One North leaders Swansea go to bottom of the table Belper, while the University of Durham are second and go to Brooklands-Poynton in search of a fifth win.

FIXTURES

Investec Women’s Hockey League (Sat, 16 November 2019):

Investec Premier Division

Buckingham v East Grinstead 12:00

Clifton Robinsons v Loughborough Students 13:00

Holcombe v Bowdon Hightown 13:00

Beeston v Univ of Birmingham 14:00

Surbiton v Hampstead & Westminster 16:30

Investec Division One North

Brooklands-Poynton v Univ of Durham 11:45

Gloucester City v Olton & West Warwicks 13:00

Belper v Swansea 13:30

Leeds v Leicester City 14:00

Stourport v Ben Rhydding 14:30

Investec Division One South

Slough v Reading 12:15

St Albans v Harleston Magpies 13:00

Canterbury v Isca 14:00

Cambridge City v Wimbledon 14:30

Sevenoaks v Trojans 15:00

Investec Conference East

Barnes v Southgate 12:00

Bromley & Beckenham v Horsham 12:30

Ipswich v Canterbury 2s 13:00

Broxbourne v Wimbledon 2s 14:30

Chelmsford v Bedford 18:00

Investec Conference North

Univ of Nottingham v Fylde 13:00

Alderley Edge v Pendle Forest 14:00

Cannock v Sutton Coldfield 14:00

Timperley v Doncaster 14:00

Wakefield v Beeston 2s 14:00

Investec Conference West

Surbiton 2s v Univ of Bristol 12:00

Cheltenham v Univ of Birmingham 2s 12:30

Exe v Team Bath Buccaneers 13:00

Basingstoke v Oxford Univ 14:00

Clifton Robinsons 2s v Oxford Hawks 14:00

Investec Women’s Hockey League (Sun, 17 November 2019):

Investec Premier Division

East Grinstead v Bowdon Hightown 13:30

With strong representation in the team which beat Chile last weekend, leaders Surbiton hope to be strengthened by the return as they face a tough clash against third-placed Buckingham on Saturday.

Surbiton have lost to Buckingham on three of their last four meetings but will be hoping to make it eight wins from their first eight league matches this season.

“Buckingham have been tough opponents over the last couple of seasons and we don’t expect anything different on Saturday,” said Surbiton’s 1st XI Manager Tony Jones.

“We need to be focussed and ready as they are a physical, well drilled team who are difficult to break down.”

Surbiton’s GB players Gisele Ansley, Sabbie Heesh and Hannah Martin were expected back at training this week and should be in contention for the weekend. However Sarah Evans and Emily Defroand picked up injuries before the Chile match and are still unavailable for this weekend’s game.

“The break for the FIH Olympic Qualifier has given time for a few injuries and illnesses to be recovered from so, beyond Sarah and Emily, we hope to have full availability across our whole squad to select from.”

Elsewhere, Hampstead & Westminster lie second and will be looking for a win over visitors Bowdon Hightown, with GB players Lily Owsley and Sarah Robertson back in the squad to help them keep up the pressure on Surbiton.

Welsh GB player Leah Wilkinson returns to Holcombe’s ranks as they play host to strugglers Beeston as they bid to preserve their spot in the top four, while East Grinstead hope to have Amy Costello, Tess Howard and Laura Unsworth back and could leap-frog Clifton Robinsons in the table if they can beat them on Saturday.

And the top flight’s other match sees the battle of the two student teams with the University of Birmingham making the short trip to Loughborough Students, with young GB stars Izzy Petter and Lizzie Neal expected to return.

In the Investec Women’s Division One North, the only unbeaten team are Olton & West Warwicks, who go to the University of Durham on Saturday.

Elsewhere, leaders Swansea host Gloucester City, while Leicester City play at Ben Rhydding and could go top if they win and Swansea falter.

And in the Investec Women’s Division One South leaders Wimbledon welcome back Anna Toman for a home match against bottom of the table St Albans, while second-placed Reading host Sevenoaks as they bid to keep pace with Wimbledon.

Fixtures 

Investec Women’s Hockey League (Sat, 9 November 2019):

Investec Premier Division

Surbiton v Buckingham 12:00

East Grinstead v Clifton Robinsons 13:30

Hampstead & Westminster v Bowdon Hightown 13:30

Loughborough Students v Univ of Birmingham 14:00

Holcombe v Beeston 16:30

Investec Division One North

Swansea v Gloucester City 12:00

Univ of Durham v Olton & West Warwicks 12:30

Belper v Brooklands-Poynton 13:30

Ben Rhydding v Leicester City 13:30

Stourport v Leeds 18:00

Investec Division One South

Isca v Slough 12:00

Trojans v Canterbury 12:00

Wimbledon v St Albans 13:00

Harleston Magpies v Cambridge City 13:30

Reading v Sevenoaks 16:30

Investec Conference East

Barnes v Broxbourne 12:00
Canterbury 2s v Chelmsford 12:00
Horsham v Ipswich 14:00
Southgate v Bromley & Beckenham 14:00
Wimbledon 2s v Bedford 15:00

Investec Conference North

Pendle Forest v Timperley 11:30
Doncaster v Univ of Nottingham 12:00
Fylde v Alderley Edge 13:30
Beeston 2s v Cannock 14:00
Wakefield v Sutton Coldfield 14:00

Investec Conference West

Oxford Hawks v Cheltenham 12:00
Oxford University v Exe 12:30
Univ of Bristol v Clifton Robinsons 2s 13:15
Basingstoke v Univ of Birmingham 2s 14:00
Surbiton 2s v Team Bath Buccaneers 14:00

Courtesy of England Hockey 

Beeston 0-1 Loughborough Students
Bowdon Hightown 0-3 East Grinstead
Buckingham 2-3 Holcombe
Clifton Robinsons 5-4 Hampstead & Westminster
Univ of Birmingham 1-3 Surbiton

A last-minute goal saw Clifton Robinsons take a 5-4 win over Hampstead & Westminster in the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division on Sunday.

The victory lifted Clifton to fifth, but saw Hampstead suffer their first defeat of the season. Although they remain second, they are now five points adrift of leaders Surbiton.

Grace Balsdon gave Hampstead & Westminster the lead with penalty corner goals on 13 and 18 minutes. Phoebe Richards hit back for Clifton Robinsons six but Joanna Leigh restored the visitor’s two goal cushion.

Clifton’s Olivia Hopkisson and Kathryn Lane both scored to level the game at 3-3.

Amy Askew put Hampstead ahead with ten minutes to play but two goals from Claire Thomas including a last minute penalty stroke gave Clifton the win.

Surbiton made it seven out of seven with a 3-1 win at the University of Birmingham. Holly Munro, Erica Sanders and Eloise Stenner scored for the visitors, while Catherine Ledesma scored a consolation goal in the last minute for the hosts.

Surbiton stayed top of the table with a 3-1 away victory at University of Birmingham.

Holly Munro, Erica Sanders and Eloise Stenner all scored for the visitors as University of Bimingham’s Catherine Ledesma netting a last minute consolation.

Holcombe boosted their play-off hopes with a 3-2 victory at rivals Buckingham. Goals from Isabella Davison, Candice Manuel and Heather McEwan proved enough to take the win, with Buckingham’s goals coming from Kitty Higgins and Abbie Brant.

Goals from Lydia Macdonnell, Sophie Bray and Cathy Nicholson helped East Grinstead to a 3-0 win at Bowdon Hightown, while Maria Andrews scored the only goal of the game as Loughborough Students won 1-0 at Beeston.

Investec Division 1 North

A hat-trick from Olympic medallist Sally Walton helped Olton & West Warwicks to a 4-1 victory over Ben Rhydding in the Investec Women’s Division One North, leaving them as the only unbeaten team in the table.

Sade Gerald scored Olton’s other goal, while Tanisha Janzen was the Ben Rhydding scorer.

Swansea are still top having played two games more than most other teams. They were 2-0 winners at Leeds on Saturday, but lost out 1-0 to the University of Durham on Sunday.

Elsewhere, Leicester City are second after a 2-1 win over Gloucester City. Katie Long and Olive Hepi scored for the Midlands side, while Suzie Carter was Gloucester’s scorer.

Brooklands-Poynton were 3-0 winners over Stourport, while Belper won 1-0 at Leeds on Sunday.

Investec Division 1 South

Wimbledon stayed top of the Investec Division 1 South thanks to a 1-0 victory over second placed Reading.

The sides came into the game level on points having won all four of their opening fixtures but Olivia Chilton’s 56^th minute strike from open play was the decisive factor in Wimbledon going three points clear at the top of the table.

Isca’s Juliette Weller scored five minutes from full-time to record their second victory of the season and distance themselves from their opponents and bottom of the league St Albans.

Elsewhere, Cambridge City stayed third with a point at Canterbury which finished 1-1, Sevenoaks beat Harlston Magpies 1-0 and Slough moved fourth with a 2-1 win against Trojans.

Investec Conference North

The University of Nottingham remain top of the table on goal difference as they narrowly won 2-1 at home against Beeston 2^nds in the Investec Conference North on Sunday.

Beeston took the lead in the 27^th when Helen Jelley netted from a penalty corner.

Jordan Homann equalised for the home side shortly after the break before Lily Wolstenholme found the winner in the 62^nd minute.

Timperley kept the pressure on at the top of the table as they won 2-0 at home against Wakefield with goals from Leonnie Molloy and Chloe Tyler.

Investec Conference East

Wimbledon remain three points clear at the top of the Investec Conference East table after winning 3-0 at Chelmsford on Sunday.

Sam Smith gave the away side the lead from a penalty corner in the 26^th minute before Tamsyn Naylor added a second half brace to ensure all three points went back to London.

Elsewhere, Southgate ensured they remain in touching distance at the top of the table after winning 3-0 at Ipswich.

Harriette Wilcock sealed the win early in the second half after first half goals from Katie Hopkisson and Emily Ruffell-Hazell.

Investec Conference West

Josephine Nash’s goal on the stroke of half time proved enough for the University of Birmingham 2^nds to beat Surbiton 2^nds 1-0 in the Investec Conference West, securing their first win of the season and inflicting Surbiton’s first loss.

Elsewhere Emily Hobbs scored twice and Charlotte Roberts added another as Cheltenham won 3-0 against the University of Bristol.

Dayzee Moss scored twice and Flora Fletcher once as Clifton Robinsons second team won 3-2 over Exe.

* Statistics, full goalscorers and tables from the Investec Women’s Hockey League are available by clicking here.

Courtesy of England Hockey

A second half goal from England and GB ace Georgie Twigg ultimately proved the difference and left Surbiton with a 100% record, but they stay second to Hampstead & Westminster on goal difference.

Jo Leigh and Mel Wilkinson scored two goals each in Hampstead & Westminster’s 5-1 victory at Bowdon Hightown.

The home side found themselves 3-0 down after 55 minutes thanks to Jasmine Clark’s goal for the London outfit.

A quick reply from Bowdon’s Rosie Bailey wasn’t enough as the visitors slotted another two past the home side to stay top of the table.

The University of Birmingham beat bottom side Beeston 2-0 thanks to goals from Lauren Hunt and Caroline Spence.

Elsewhere, Lucy Millington’s effort for visitors Loughborough Students salvaged a 1-1 draw against Holcombe after Joanne Westwood put the hosts in front.

Amy Costello put East Grinstead ahead against Buckingham but Abbie Brant levelled for the latter in the 1-1 stalemate.

Investec Women’s Division 1 North

Two goals from Georgina Brownhill helped the University of Durham go top of the early Investec Women’s Division 1 North table with a 3-0 win over Gloucester City.

Natalie Konerth also scored for Durham who are top on goal difference, with three other sides also being on four points and nobody with a 100% record.

Olton & West Warwicks had to settle for a 2-2 draw at Stourport, while Leeds were 1-0 winners at Leicester City with Rosie Foster scoring the only goal of the game on 56 minutes.

Elsewhere, Brooklands-Poynton beat Ben Rhydding 1-0, and Swansea overcame Belper by the same margin.

Investec Women’s Division 1 South

A 69th minute penalty strike helped Wimbledon keep their winning streak alive with a 3-2 victory over hosts Trojans in the Women’s Division 1 South.

Fiona Semple levelled the back-and-forth game at 2-2 in the 49th minute before slotting home the decisive penalty stroke for Wimbledon as they stay top of the league.

Emma Thomas and Jo Ellis both scored two goals in Reading’s 5-0 win over Cambridge City to stay level on points with leaders Wimbledon.

Elsewhere, Canterbury beat St Albans 4-0, Isca claimed their first points of the season after beating Sevenoaks 3-1 and Slough beat Harleston Magpies 2-1.

Investec Women’s Conference West

Surbiton’s second team remain the only team with a 100% record in the Investec Women’s Conference West after beating Clifton Robinsons’ second team 3-1.

Peggy Winterborn, Maud Blokland and Hannah Denison put the winners 3-0 up and despite a reply from Clifton, their fightback ended at 3-1.

Exe went second in the table as they held onto win 4-3 against a battling Cheltenham side.
Exe went 4-1 up through Ruby Jarman’s 48th minute strike alongside Emily Mitchem’s double and one from Lorel Wallis. Cheltenham pulled within one goal after two in two minutes but couldn’t find a leveller.

Investec Women’s Conference North

Sutton Coldfield maintained their impressive opening to the season with a 5-1 victory over Beeston’s second team to stay top of the Investec Women’s Conference North.

Emma McCabe found the net three times in the victory, while Vicky Woolford also scored two first half goals in the win.

Pendle Forest also won 5-1 to keep pace with the league leaders on maximum points.
Lisa Crewe and Charlotte Hartley scored twice each for Pendle Forest in the win over Yorkshire side Wakefield.

Investec Women’s Conference East

Bromley & Beckenham won their second consecutive game in the Investec Women’s Conference East with a slim 1-0 away win against Broxbourne.

Sophie Couldrey put the winners ahead after only three minutes and the game stayed that way to put Bromley & Beckenham top of the table on six points.

Barnes and Wimbledon seconds left if late with Barnes scoring a 69th minute goal to beat Ipswich 1-0, while Wimbledon’s 70th minute effort gave them a 2-1 win over Canterbury seconds.

East Grinstead 1-1 Buckingham

Holcombe 1-1 Loughborough Students

Bowdon Hightown 1-5 Hampstead & Westminster

Clifton Robinsons 0-1 Surbiton

Univ of Birmingham 2-0 Beeston

* Statistics, full goalscorers and tables from the Investec Women’s Hockey League are available by clicking here.

Courtesy of England Hockey

The Conference North winners held a 2-1 lead at the break thanks to penalty corners from Hannah Grieve and Jen Park before Sarah Parkinson-Mills cut the deficit in half for Stourport.

In the second half, two goals in the opening five minutes from Sophie Byrne and Lucy Millington gave Loughborough a commanding lead before another strike from Hannah Grieve sealed their win.

Ninth-placed Premier Division side Slough faced Conference East winners Hampstead & Westminster, and scraped a 2-1 victory with a goal in the last minute.

Amy Askew gave Conference East winners Hampstead the lead from open play early on in the second half but Slough’s Lizzy Totten soon levelled the scores six minutes later.

The sides seemed destined to share the points before Philipa Newton’s penalty corner found the back of the net with a minute to spare.

Slough will now face Stourport on Saturday 13th with Loughborough Students coming head to head against Hampstead & Westminster.

Elsewhere, In the first round of the Investec Women’s Hockey League Division One play-offs, Olton & West Warwickshire drew first blood with a 4-0 win over Leeds.

Sally Walton and Alice Conquest were in as fine goal scoring form with two goals each.

The three Conference teams are chasing two final places in the new Division One set-up following a restructure for next season.

Tickets for the Investec Women’s and Men’s Hockey League Finals are on sale now!

Taking place at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on Sat 13 and Sun 14 April, the country’s best teams do battle.

Tickets for a single day start at just £2 for under 18s and £13 for adults. For both days it’s from £8 for under 18s and £20 adults – fantastic value to watch elite domestic players in action.

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RESULTS:

Women’s Promotion Tournament: Hampstead & Westminster 1, Slough 2; Stourport 1, Loughborough Students 5.

Women’s Division One Play-offs: Leeds 0, Olton & West Warwicks 4.

Courtesy of England Hockey

Currently fifth, Buckingham could step up into the all-important top four if they can secure a victory. But they face a Beeston side who beat them earlier in the season – and who have international players returning to the squad.

“They are all big games at this point of the season,” said Buckingham’s Head Coach Zak Jones.

“Beeston are a team that have had a bit of a blip, but they have had a lot of players out on international duty. We played them in the Tier One Championships last weekend and they had two or three missing, but they were still a very good side.

“It will be a competitive game; they are very well coached and we always have good battles, so it will be tight and tense.”

Buckingham will be hoping Clifton Robinsons slip up at strugglers Slough so that they can leap-frog them in the table, while Buckingham could also move into third spot in East Grinstead lose against the University of Birmingham.

Elsewhere, leaders Holcombe head to Bowdon Hightown, while in the other top flight match of the weekend Surbiton play host to bottom of the table Canterbury.

In the Investec Conference East leaders Hampstead & Westminster go to Bedford on Saturday, a side who are desperate for points to boost their bid for a top six place and a spot in next season’s Division One.

Similarly, third-placed Sevenoaks go to Harleston Magpies who are fifth, with both teams looking to hold on to their place in the top half of the table.

Belper are on the road to leaders Loughborough Students in the Investec Conference North on Saturday. Currently fifth, Belper are one of several teams who are bidding to retain a top six place and stay in the second tier of hockey following the restructure for 2019-20.

Meanwhile, Leicester will be looking to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat to Loughborough when they go to Timperley.

And in the Investec Conference West leaders Stourport, who lost for the first time last week, have a home game against Isca, who are desperate for points as they bid to step up from their currently position of eighth.

Second-placed Gloucester City – who had to settle for a draw with Barnes and lost the chance to make up more ground on Stourport last weekend – go to Trojans this weekend.

FIXTURES  

Investec Women’s Hockey League (Saturday, 9 March 2019)  

Investec Premier Division

Slough v Clifton Robinsons 12:30

Bowdon Hightown v Holcombe 13:45

Beeston v Buckingham 14:00

East Grinstead v Univ of Birmingham 16:00

Surbiton v Canterbury 16:00

Investec Conference East

Wimbledon v Horsham 12:00

Bedford v Hampstead & Westminster 13:30

Harleston Magpies v Sevenoaks 13:30

Southgate v St Albans 14:00

Ipswich v Cambridge City 14:30

Investec Conference West

Barnes v Reading 12:00

Olton & West Warwicks v Oxford Hawks 12:00

Trojans v Gloucester City 12:00

Exe v Swansea City 13:00

Stourport v Isca 14:30

Investec Conference North

Leeds v Fylde 12:30

Sutton Coldfield v Brooklands-Poynton 12:30

Ben Rhydding v Univ of Durham 13:30

Timperley v Leicester 14:15

Loughborough Students v Belper 16:00

Courtesy of England Hockey via Snowdon Sport

Lottie Porter’s second half goal from a penalty corner routine proved to be the only score of the match, and with Surbiton beating East Grinstead Buckingham moved up the table.

East Grinstead had got off to a good start at Sugden Road with Sophie Bray scoring after just four minutes.

But Surbiton pulled level with Georgie Twigg’s 18th minute penalty stroke, and they went on to win with Olivia Chilton and Jenna Woolven scoring from open play on 24 and 28 minutes.

Leaders Holcombe were 3-0 winners over Beeston, who drop out of the top four on the back of the loss.

Dirkie Chamberlain gave Holcombe an early lead from a penalty corner after just two minutes, and after Hattie Jones had added a second from open play on 38 minutes, Chamberlain’s second came on 56 minutes to seal the points.

The relegation scrap between bottom of the table Canterbury and visitors University of Birmingham ended in a 1-1 draw, with Catherine Ledesma’s ninth-minute goal for University of Birmingham being cancelled out by Sarah Kerly’s 51st minute shot.

Investec Conference West

Stourport secured their 11th straight league win of the season on Saturday, beating hosts and bottom club Exe 9-1 in the Investec Conference West.

Lorna Mackenzie secured a hat-trick and Cerys Preston scored twice for Stourport, while other goals came from Sarah Parkinson-Mills, Beth Merriman, Isabella Nott and Sophie Thompson.

Gloucester City also won away from home, putting four unanswered goals past hosts Oxford Hawks. Jennifer Lea, Frankie Mayes, Charlotte McShane and Emily Rogers scored their goals.

Elsewhere, Reading beat third-placed Swansea City to boost their position with Keelie Perham and Esme Swindells scoring.

Trojans were 3-1 winners at home against Isca, while Barnes beat Olton & West Warwicks 2-1.

Investec Conference North

Two goals from Alice Rolfe helped leaders Loughborough Students secure an emphatic 6-0 win at Leeds in the Investec Conference North.

Loughborough were 3-0 ahead at half time thanks to strikes from Beth Peers, Maria Andrews and Lucy Millington. Rolfe’s two came after the break, with Charlotte Daly also adding one.

Leicester had Jodie Connelly to thank for the only goal of the match as they battled out a 1-0 win over Brooklands-Poynton, while the University of Durham were 4-1 winners over Sutton Coldfield.

Elsewhere Belper were 2-0 winners at Ben Rhydding, while Fylde beat visitors Timperley 1-0.

Investec Conference East

Hampstead & Westminster beat promotion rivals Cambridge City 4-1 in the Investec Conference East, with Amy Askew scoring twice while others came from Jasmine Clark and Lauren Turner.

That win leaves Hampstead & Westminster second after leap-frogging Cambridge City, while Wimbledon continue to lead after beating St Albans 4-0.

Goalless at half time, the Wimbledon v St Albans game sprang into life after the break with Millie Giglio, Libby Sherriff, Fiona Semple and Nicola Alexander-Lloyd all scoring goals.

Elsewhere Sevenoaks kept in the hunt for the title with a 3-0 win at Ipswich and Harleston Magpies won 4-1 over Bedford.

RESULTS:

Investec Women’s Premier Division: Canterbury 1, University of Birmingham 1; Clifton Robinsons 0, Buckingham 1; Holcombe 3, Beeston 0; Surbiton 3, East Grinstead 1.

Investec Women’s Conference West: Barnes 2, Olton & West Warwicks 1; Exe 1, Stourport 9; Oxford Hawks 0, Gloucester City 4; Swansea City 0-2 Reading, Trojans 3, Isca 1.

Investec Women’s Conference North: Ben Rhydding 0, Belper 2; Fylde 1, Timperley 0; Leeds 0, Loughborough Students 6; Leicester 1, Brooklands-Poynton 0; University of Durham 4, Sutton Coldfield 1.

Investec Women’s Conference East: Hampstead & Westminster 4, Cambridge City 1; Harleston Magpies 4, Bedford 1; Horsham 3, Southgate 2; Ipswich 0, Sevenoaks 3; Wimbledon 4, St Albans 0.

Courtesy of England Hockey via Snowdon Sports 

Currently fifth, Beeston could climb up to third if they win and other results go in their favour. But they will need to be on form to beat a Holcombe side who inflicted Surbiton’s first defeat of the season last weekend.

“Holcombe are a strong side with great depth and their result last week is testament to that,” said Beeston team manager Chris Glover. “However, we will go into the game confidently, and do our best to take away some points.

“We’re pleased to have taken four points from the last two weeks, especially as we have been missing four players out in China with the Great Britain EDP squad, but we know that this weekend will be another huge test.”

Elsewhere in the top flight bottom of the table Canterbury are facing a home game against leaders and last season’s champions Surbiton, while two other struggling teams, Slough and Bowdon Hightown, face each other on Saturday.

Buckingham could climb to second in the table if they can beat visitors Clifton Robinsons and other results go in their favour, while East Grinstead go to the University of Birmingham.

Leaders Hampstead & Westminster will be big favourites for victory over bottom of the table Ipswich in the Investec Women’s Conference East, while second-placed Harleston Magpies go to Horsham as they bid to keep up with the leaders.

At the other end of the table, second-bottom Southgate have a home game against Bedford, who have only won two of their league games so far and are eighth.

There’s also a top versus bottom clash in the Investec Conference North, with leaders Loughborough Students at home against bottom club Sutton Coldfield.

Second-placed Ben Rhydding go to the University of Durham, while Leicester will want to keep pushing the top two with victory over Fylde.

The top two face each other this Saturday in the Investec Women’s Conference West, with Stourport aiming to maintain their 100% record with victory at second-placed Olton & West Warwicks.

Meanwhile, third-placed Swansea City play host to Barnes and could move second if they win and Olton & West Warwicks lose.

FIXTURES

Saturday, November 17 2018

Investec Women’s Hockey League

Premier Division

Buckingham v Clifton Robinsons 12:00

Slough v Bowdon Hightown 12:30

Beeston v Holcombe 14:00

Univ of Birmingham v East Grinstead 16:00

Canterbury v Surbiton 16:00

Conference East

St Albans v Wimbledon 13:00

Ipswich v Hampstead & Westminster 13:00

Southgate v Bedford 14:00

Horsham v Harleston Magpies 14:00

Cambridge City v Sevenoaks 17:00

Conference North

Univ of Durham v Ben Rhydding 12:00

Leicester v Fylde 12:00

Leeds v Timperley 12:30

Loughborough Students v Sutton Coldfield 12:30

Brooklands Poynton v Belper 13:00

Conference West

Olton & West Warwicks v Stourport 12:00

Oxford Hawks v Isca 12:00

Swansea City v Barnes 12:00

Exe v Gloucester City 13:00

Reading v Trojans 16:30

Courtesy of England Hockey