With only two more matches to go after today, some further relegation issues were decided this weekend in the Slazenger Women’s EHL. In National South, Firebrands 3-2 win over Exe means that they are on 21 points and cannot be caught by Taunton Vale (12 points) or Woking (8 points). For Taunton Vale relegation is a swift return to regional league hockey after only one season, whilst Woking were stalwarts of Division One until their relegation to National South in 2006. In the National North, Bedford finally sealed their fate. Although the bottom end of the table shows no change after today’s matches, Bedford’s draw against Bradford means they cannot now accumulate sufficient points to escape the drop. Cambridge City, one up from the bottom could theoretically still escape relegation.
Our photograph shows relegated Taunton Vale (in white) playing Horsham at the start of the season.The big news of the day is that Premiership champions Slough suffered only their second defeat of the season when they visited Olton and West Warwicks. Denise Marston-Smith scored a hat-trick for the home side in their 5-1 win. 5-1 was also the score at Canterbury, where Sarah Kerly featured on the score sheet in their win over Poynton. It was local derby time at Luxborough Lane, where Old Loughtonians entertained Chelmsford. Tracy Willmore opened the scoring from a penalty corner just before half time, but Gwen Smith replied for Old Loughtonians five minutes into the second half. Final score 1-1. Whilst in theory Old Loughtonians can escape the drop, they now look destined to be relegated. Chelmsford are perilously close to the relegation zone for comfort. You can generally bank on a lot of goals in any match that Bowdon Hightown are involved in, and so it was when they travelled down West to play Clifton. Carys Hopkins opened the scoring for Clifton but goals from Sally Walton (2), Fay Nash, and Tina Cullen put the score at 4-1 at half time. Clifton staged a second half recovery with Elizabeth Sinton, Dawn Mitchell, and Carla Dunnett finding the net but Bowdon finally finished them off with two more from Tina Cullen and a goal from Nicky O’Donnell. Final score there, 7-4 to Bowdon. It was not a good day for Ipswich, who despite opening the scoring with a penalty corner conversion by Emma Millar, went down 4-1 to Leicester, and had their Miriam Fabregas red carded for alleged “language unbecoming a lady”! Canterbury and Clifton change places as a result of today’s matches, Canterbury moving up to fifth but otherwise the table remains unchanged.
The top four sides in Women’s Division One all won today, with Trojans now assured of promotion or a play-off place as a result of their 4-0 win over Loughborough Students. Reading, with an outside chance of a play-off place, were 3-1 winners at Doncaster, whilst second placed Sunderland beat bottom placed Harleston Magpies 1-0.
With only two more matches to go after today, some further relegation issues were decided this weekend in the Slazenger Women’s EHL. In National South, Firebrands 3-2 win over Exe means that they are on 21 points and cannot be caught by Taunton Vale (12 points) or 