Review of the seventh round of the English Hockey League

Brooklands United remain top of the Men’s First Division North but had to work hard to secure a 4-3 win over bottom-bottom Stourport without a single point. Cy Claris gave Stourport the lead twice but Brookland’s Nick Hale scored four minutes from time to win the game. Loughborough students come second with a lower goal difference. They also had a tough time at Deeside Ramblers, with evergreen Ghazanfar Ali scoring twice to level the score at 2-2. It wasn’t until the final seven minutes that the Students scored twice, including Montgomery Neve’s second goal to win the game 4-2. The University of Nottingham moved up to third after beating Harborne 1-0. Olotn, West Warwicks and Durham University drew 2–2, while Lindum remained second after a 3–1 defeat at the University of Birmingham.

There was a surprise at the top of Division One South when Reading lost their 100% record to struggling Old Loughtonians. Conor Kaplan gave Louths an early lead and Oliver McIntyre doubled it in the final minute of the game. Indian Gymkhana took full advantage and closed the gap to just one point with a hard-fought 3-1 win over Bristol University. Teddington and Sevenoaks played each other to a 4-4 draw, with Sevenoaks’ Joe Noholty scoring a hat-trick and Teddington’s Ciaran O’Connell equalizing in the last minute. The Bath Buccaneers were victorious in the West Country derby at Exeter University, winning 1-0, while Havant added to Canterbury’s upset bottom of the table with a 3-1 win.

Cameron Lewis scored a hat-trick for unbeaten Conference North leaders Timperley in a 5-0 win over Sheffield. More good news for the Cheshire side was Leeds’ 4-1 defeat to Doncaster, who also had a 100% record going into the weekend. Leeds are third and Oxton move up to fourth after a 3-2 win at bottom-of-the-table Wakefield. Durham University 2 and Brooklands MU 2 won away to Didsbury North 3-2 and Ben Ridding 2-1 respectively.

Spencer lost their Conference East lead and unbeaten start to a 5-1 home loss to Surbiton 2, with Ben Hanson scoring a hat-trick. This put London Wayfarers, who won 2-0 over Hampstead & Westminster 2s, into first place. Juan Martin Gomez Sanchez scored both Bromley and Beckenham goals in the 2-1 defeat to West Herts. Old Cranlighan moved up the table with a 4-2 win at Wimbledon 2, while draw specialist Tunbridge Wells picked up another point in a 3-3 draw with Brighton and Hove, their fourth draw in six games.

Promoted Chelmsford remain top of the Midlands Conference thanks to a 2-1 win over Barford Tigers. Repton remain unbeaten, three points behind, following a similar result at Birmingham University (2 seconds). Two goals from Chris Wardale saw Norwich City beat Cambridge City 2-0 and leave bottom of the table. Trailing 3-0 with 20 minutes remaining, a late fightback was not enough for Bunbury, who lost 3-2 to Nottingham University by 2. St Albans won 3-0 at Harleston Magpies.

William Tristem scored three goals for Conference West leaders Guildford in a 4–2 win over Chichester. Clifton Robinsons remain level on points with six wins from six, beating Reading 2 4-0. The two opened up an eight-point lead over third-place Fareham, who lost 3-2 to Oxford Hawks. Jonathan Wright scored all of Easkey’s goals in a 3-0 win over Bath Buccaneers 2s while Exeter University 2s beat Ashmoor 3-2.

Division One South leaders Barnes saw their 100% record end with a 3-1 defeat to the University of Exeter. Lucy Day scored all three goals for Exeter and the result now leaves them just two points behind second-placed Barnes. Surbiton 2 remain third thanks to a 3-0 win at bottom-of-the-table Bristol Firebrands, and there was a similar scoreline at Guildford as they thrashed visiting Harleston Magpies. Sevenoaks’ Emily Barrett scored twice in her side’s 2-2 draw in Slough, a point that was enough to lift the home side out of the relegation zone and they were replaced by Wimbledon 2s, who lost 2-1 at home to Southgate.

Durham University extended their perfect start to Division One North with a 4-2 win over Alton & West Warwicks. They are three points clear of Buckingham, who won 3-0 at Repton. Bottom of the table Leicester returned home empty-handed by Ben Ridding after a 3–0 defeat. Gloucester City picked up their second win of the season with a 5-3 defeat of Wakefield, who have now replaced them in ninth place. The Beeston v Pendle Forest match has been postponed due to health concerns.

Leeds are two points clear at the top of the Conference North. They beat Doncaster 3-1 in the Yorkshire Derby under the lights. Georgia Carr and Tilly Irvine scored two goals each in Bowdon 2’s 4–3 win over Alderley Edge, which put them in second place. The Didsbury North v Durham University 2 and Whitley Bay and Tynemouth v Newcastle University matches ended 1-1 while Fylde snooze with a 5-0 thrashing of bottom side Harrogate.

Loughborough Students 2 maintained their three-point lead in the Conference Midlands after a comfortable 4-2 defeat to Cambridge City. Second-placed Stourport look to bounce back from last season’s relegation to beat Cannock 5-2, with Sophie Thomspon scoring a hat-trick. Cambridge University leapfrogged their city rivals into third place after beating Oxford Hawks 3-0. Bedford remain bottom after a 3-1 defeat to Birmingham University 2, Beeston 2 remain ninth but earned a point away to St Albans in a 2-2 draw.

Sammy Petch’s solo strike four minutes from time gave Reading victory in their second team battle with previously unbeaten Clifton Robinson, keeping them three points clear of the Western Conference. The second-placed Trojans won 2-0 at Cheltenham. Two goals from Cerys King helped the Bath Buccaneers to a 3-0 win over Swansea and leapfrog Wales in the process. Marlow beat Witney 1-0 and bottom-of-the-table Exeter earned their first point in a 2-2 draw with Lansdowne, but were denied all three points with three minutes remaining by Emma Howitt.

London Wayfarers lost their 100% record in the Eastern Conference, Bente Eggink scoring twice for Hampstead and Westminster 2 who beat them 3-1. However, Teddington maintained their perfect start, beating Sevenoaks 3–1 to move three points clear. Spencer remains third after beating Old Loughtonian 4-2. Canterbury moved off the bottom of the table with a 2-0 thrashing of Wapping. The Old Georgians won 3-1 in East London.