With the winter break fast approaching, it was an action-packed weekend across the divisions.
A dramatic London derby in the Men's Premier Division saw Surbiton fight back to share the spoils with Wimbledon while Old Georgians racked up double figures on the road.
In the Vitality Women’s Premier Division, Beeston secured a top six spot and Surbiton moved level on points with East Grinstead in second.
Plus, we wrap up all the Division One and Conferences action on the final full weekend of fixtures before Christmas.
Vitality Women's Hockey League
Beeston secured their place in the Vitality Women's Premier Division top six ahead of the mid-season split with a 4-2 victory at Swansea.
James Sordillo’s side made the trip to South Wales knowing three points would be enough to seal their berth with a game to spare before the winter break and they needed just six minutes to break the deadlock, Cerys Miller opening the scoring.
Charlotte Summers doubled the advantage eight minutes later and Hannah Grieve’s penalty stroke just after the half-hour mark all but settled the outcome.
Beeston skipper Lauren Burrell made it four and though Beth Wood struck twice in three minutes for the hosts, it wasn’t enough to prevent an eighth defeat in nine matches this season.
Beeston’s victory saw them leapfrog Clifton Robinsons into fifth after the Bristol side were beaten 2-1 at home by Wimbledon.
Catherine Macauley put the home side in front after eight minutes and they held their advantage until just before half-time, when Fiona Crackles equalised.
The match remained end-to-end in the second half but it was Wimbledon who found the winner through Sarah Jones’ 58th-minute strike.
The victors sit third but have a bye weekend next time out, which means they could be overhauled by Surbiton – who could even climb into the top three on Sunday if they win at East Grinstead.
With leaders Hampstead & Westminster sitting out this weekend, East Grinstead took the opportunity to close the gap at the top to six points with a 3-2 win at Buckingham.
They did it the hard way, coming from 2-0 down after Jo Pinner and Megan Lewis-Williams put the hosts in the ascendancy inside the opening eight minutes.
Autumn Bowden immediately halved the deficit and after Chloe Brown levelled it up, Robyn Bentley completed the fightback on 55 minutes.
Surbiton kicked off their weekend double header with a 3-1 win at Holcombe, Darcy Bourne, Meg Dowthwaite and Sophie Hamilton finding the net either side of Tania Escaich’s equaliser.
They then completed a fine weekend by winning 2-1 at East Grinstead, with Leah Wilkinson's brace overturning Robyn Bentley's opener.
The only match which didn’t end in victory for the away side on Saturday came in the East Midlands as Loughborough Students drew 1-1 with University of Birmingham, Kirby Harris equalising for the hosts.
Buckingham 2-3 East Grinstead
Clifton Robinsons 1-2 Wimbledon
Holcombe 1-3 Surbiton
Loughborough Students 1-1 University of Birmingham
Swansea 2-4 Beeston
East Grinstead 1-2 Surbiton (Sun)
Division One North
The final week of the first half of the season saw in-form Stourport rack up their fifth consecutive victory, overcoming Gloucester City 2-0. Bowdon bounced back from losing their unbeaten record last week to win 2-0 at University of Durham and University of Nottingham remain top after a routine 3-0 success at home to Brooklands Poynton. Leicester City won by the same scoreline against Ben Rhydding while Belper and Olton & West Warwickshire both head into the winter break without a win to their name following a 1-1 draw between the strugglers.
Belper 1-1 Olton & West Warwicks
Gloucester City 0-2 Stourport
Leicester City 3-0 Ben Rhydding
University of Durham 0-2 Bowdon
University of Nottingham 3-0 Brooklands Poynton
Division One South
Sevenoaks will start 2022 with a five-point advantage at the summit as they maintained their unbeaten start, comfortably overcoming winless bottom side Trojans 4-1. Second-placed Reading won 2-0 at Wimbledon 2nds while Slough kept their place in the top three after edging past Cambridge City 1-0. The day’s big winners were Canterbury, who thumped Harleston Magpies 6-0, while Isca moved to within a point of Surbiton 2s in fifth after a 2-1 victory in the capital.
Canterbury 6-0 Harleston Magpies
Sevenoaks 4-1 Trojans
Slough 1-0 Cambridge City
Surbiton 1-2 Isca
Wimbledon 0-2 Reading
Conference East
Leaders Barnes comprehensively ended Ipswich’s impressive run, scoring six without reply against a side who arrived in West London having won three on the bounce. Nicki Mollison bagged a four-minute hat-trick as London Wayfarers won 4-0 at Chelmsford, a result which saw them move level on points with second-placed Southgate, who were held 1-1 at East London. Hampstead & Westminster 2s eased past Canterbury 2s 4-0 and Horsham saw off Bromley & Beckenham by the odd goal in three.
Barnes 6-0 Ipswich
Chelmsford 0-4 London Wayfarers
East London 1-1 Southgate
Hampstead & Westminster 2s 4-0 Canterbury 2s
Horsham 2-1 Bromley & Beckenham
Conference Midlands
Sutton Coldfield asserted their authority in the battle of the top two, crushing St Albans 6-0 with the prolific Emma McCabe scoring five. Bedford leapfrogged St Albans into second courtesy of their 3-1 triumph over Oxford University while Beeston 2s came from two goals down to beat Cannock 4-2 in an entertaining contest. Loughborough Students 2s picked up their second win on the spin, thumping bottom side Khalsa Leamington 7-1, and Broxbourne beat University of Birmingham 2s 2-1.
Bedford 3-1 Oxford University
Beeston 4-2 Cannock
Broxbourne 2-1 University of Birmingham 2s
Khalsa Leamington 1-7 Loughborough Students 2s
St Albans 0-6 Sutton Coldfield
Conference North
The clash between two high-flying West Yorkshire outfits ended with Wakefield claiming the bragging rights as they came from behind to beat Leeds 2-1, Gwen Veitch netting the winner two minutes from time. Timperley go into Christmas top after taking a point from a 2-2 draw with Fylde but just seven points separate the top nine after second-bottom Alderley Edge picked up an impressive 2-1 win over Doncaster. Neston battled hard to hold University of Durham 2s to a 1-1 draw and the same scoreline saw Pendle Forest and Didsbury Northern share the spoils.
Alderley Edge 2-1 Doncaster
Fylde 2-2 Timperley
Neston 1-1 University of Durham 2s
Pendle Forest 1-1 Didsbury Northern
Wakefield 2-1 Leeds
Conference West
The division is tantalisingly poised going into the winter break, with the top three teams level on 18 points and Team Bath Buccs just a point adrift. Bath closed the gap courtesy of a 2-1 win at Bristol Firebrands, who slipped behind Oxford Hawks and new leaders Witney on goal difference after both won – Witney coming away from Clifton Robinsons with a 3-1 success and Oxford Hawks beating Basingstoke 2-1. Cheltenham won an entertaining mid-table clash 4-3 at Exe and Penarth picked up just their second win of the campaign as they overcame bottom side University of Bristol 4-1.
Bristol Firebrands 1-2 Team Bath Buccs
Clifton Robinsons 1-3 Witney
Exe 3-4 Cheltenham
Oxford Hawks 2-1 Basingstoke
Penarth 4-1 University of Bristol
Men's Hockey League
Luke Taylor scored twice in the final four minutes as Surbiton staged a dramatic late fightback to deny Wimbledon all three points in the Men’s Premier Division.
The clash between the pair of London high-flyers lived up to the hype under Saturday night lights and saw Wimbledon take an early lead through Sam Hooper, who slotted home from a penalty corner inside three minutes.
Ronan Harvey-Kelly doubled the advantage shortly after the half-hour mark and as full-time approached, it looked as though the visitors would be stretching the gap between the two sides to six points.
But Taylor had other ideas and after a penalty stroke halved the deficit, he followed up by firing home a penalty corner in the final minute to ensure the shares were spoiled.
Brooklands MU saw their top six ambitions ended after a damaging pair of defeats in their weekend double header.
Saturday saw Hampstead & Westminster run out 3-0 winners courtesy of Matthew Ramshaw’s brace and one from Teague Marcano and it got worse for Brooklands the following day when Old Georgians came to town.
Tom Carson, Ed Carson, Elliott Messem and Nick Page each struck braces while James Carson and Lee Morton also found the net as the visitors racked up double figures, returning south with a 10-0 victory which saw them stay second, now just a point behind Wimbledon.
The final top six spot will be decided on the last weekend before the winter break after Oxted were unable to secure their spot, going down 4-0 at Holcombe.
Beeston kept their hopes alive with a 3-1 win at home to University of Exeter, the goals coming from Robbie Gleeson, Sam Apoola and Gareth Griffiths.
Next weekend sees Beeston travel to East Grinstead, who could yet finish in the top six themselves if results go their way next weekend after Sunday’s 4-1 win at University of Durham kept them in contention.
Louis Gittens, Finlay Boothroyd, Jamie Wallace and Luke Holland gave the visitors a four-goal cushion at Maiden Castle, meaning Jack Stubbings’ response was little more than a consolation.
Brooklands MU 0-3 Hampstead & Westminster (Sat)
Surbiton 2-2 Wimbledon (Sat)
Beeston 3-1 University of Exeter
Brooklands MU 0-10 Old Georgians
Holcombe 4-0 Oxted
University of Durham 1-4 East Grinstead
Division One North
Loughborough Students ensured they will go into the winter break a point clear at the top, winning 4-1 at Olton & West Warwicks. University of Nottingham remain on their coattails following a 3-0 win at third-placed Cardiff & Met, while Bowdon hit Deeside Ramblers for six to stay fourth. At the other end, Sheffield Hallam and City of Peterborough remain winless. Hallam were beaten 5-2 at Cambridge City in Saturday’s only game while Peterborough went down 4-2 at home to University of Birmingham, who travel to the Steel City for next weekend’s final fixture before Christmas.
Cambridge City 5-2 Sheffield Hallam (Sat)
Bowdon 6-1 Deeside Ramblers
Cardiff & Met 0-3 University of Nottingham
City of Peterborough 2-4 University of Birmingham
Olton & West Warwicks 1-4 Loughborough Students
Division One South
Leaders Reading got back to winning ways, overcoming Oxford Hawks 4-2 to retain their six-point advantage at the summit. Canterbury remain second after coming through a stern test at bottom side Havant, coming from behind to earn a 3-2 victory. Old Cranleighan ended the first half of their season in style, beating Brighton & Hove 4-1, while Southgate edged past Teddington 2-1. There was nothing to split Team Bath Buccs and Sevenoaks, who played out a goalless draw.
Old Cranleighan 4-1 Brighton & Hove (Sat)
Southgate 2-1 Teddington (Sat)
Havant 2-3 Canterbury
Reading 4-2 Oxford Hawks
Team Bath Buccs 0-0 Sevenoaks
Conference East
Wapping continued their fine form, toppling leaders Old Loughtonians 2-1 to record their third consecutive victory. Neither Richmond nor London Edwardians could make a sizable dent into the gap at the top, however, as the second and third-placed sides drew 2-2 – Old Loughts are four points clear going into the winter break. London Wayfarers won 3-1 at Hampstead & Westminster 2s and there was also away successes for Indian Gymkhana, who triumphed 2-1 at West Herts, and Spencer, who overcame Bromley & Beckenham 3-1.
Hampstead & Westminster 2s 1-3 London Wayfarers (Sat)
Richmond 2-2 London Edwardians (Sat)
Wapping 2-1 Old Loughtonians (Sat)
Bromley & Beckenham 1-3 Spencer
West Herts 1-2 Indian Gymkhana
Conference Midlands
The top two, Harborne and Barford Tigers, both won to keep their unbeaten records intact heading into the winter break. Harborne beat St Albans 5-2 while Barford Tigers came away from Harleston Magpies with a 4-2 victory, meaning it’s as you were at the top with Harborne two points clear. University of Birmingham got off the mark for the campaign at the ninth time of asking, winning 2-1 at Lichfield. The University side remain bottom but are now level points with Khalsa Leamington, who went down 3-2 at Loughborough Town. Bedford climbed to fifth thanks to their 2-1 win at Cambridge University.
Harborne 5-2 St Albans (Sat)
Cambridge University 1-2 Bedford
Harleston Magpies 2-4 Barford Tigers
Lichfield 1-2 University of Birmingham
Loughborough Town 3-2 Khalsa Leamington
Conference North
Belper cruised to a 5-0 win at previously in-form Alderley Edge to head into the winter break a point clear at the top. Timperley beat strugglers Beeston 2s 2-1 to stay second though Didsbury Northern lost ground after they went down 5-2 at home to Preston. Leeds won the West Yorkshire derby 1-0 at Wakefield while University of Durham ended their three-match losing streak by holding Doncaster to a 1-1 draw.
Wakefield 0-1 Leeds (Sat)
Alderley Edge 0-5 Belper
Didsbury Northern 2-5 Preston
Doncaster 1-1 Durham University 2s
Timperley 2-1 Beeston 2s
Conference West
Ashmoor prevailed in the battle of the top two, winning 2-1 at leaders University of Bristol to cut the gap at the top to a point. There was no shortage of entertainment in the other games either, with Plymouth Marjon coming from 3-0 down to beat Chichester 4-3. All four goals came in the space of five minutes, with Jon Tew netting a quickfire hat-trick. Isca and Clifton Robinsons shared ten goals in a 5-5 thriller while Fareham also netted five, beating Cardiff University 5-2. The clash between bottom two, Cheltenham and University of Exeter 2s, ended 2-2.
Cheltenham 2-2 University of Exeter 2s
Fareham 5-2 Cardiff University
Isca 5-5 Clifton Robinsons
Plymouth Marjon 4-3 Chichester
University of Bristol 1-2 Ashmoor
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