The 2008-2009 Slazenger England Hockey League started with a bang this afternoon, with a full programme of women’s games and a selection of matches in the men’s divisions.
All eyes were naturally on the newly promoted teams to see how they would fare, and the opening day threw up an interesting tussle in the Women’s Premier Division between the Champions, Slough, and newly promoted Trojans. The match was made more intriguing by the loss of some key Slough players who have moved abroad for their hockey. Trojans took first blood just before the break when Fiona Holdcroft managed to escape the attentions of Sarah Ellis in the Slough goal (see our picture) and coolly slip the ball into the net. But Slough were quickly back on even terms shortly after the restart, with a defensive mixup leaving ‘keeper Becky Duggan going the wrong way whilst Lauren Penny found the net. Natalie Bell put Slough ahead three minutes later with a goal in open play. But this was a match which Trojans should have won. They will surely rue the second half penalty stroke that went wide and a second stroke that failed to even reach the goal line. Final score 2-1 to Slough.
Among the women’s teams in the Premier Division tipped this season are Canterbury and Leicester, who played out a goalless draw at Polo Farm, and Bowdon who won 3-1 when they visited Poynton. No surprise that Tina Cullen’s name was on the score sheet there. Clifton’s improving form of last season continued with a useful 3-2 win over Ipswich. Ipswich’s neighbours, Chelmsford, who barely escaped relegation last season, had a torrid time when they entertained Olton and West Warwicks, going down 8-0, with Denise Marston-Smith scoring a hat-trick.
In the conferences, Southgate’s women in the East conference got off to a good start with a 2-0 win over Old Loughtonians, and Reading managed seven passed Sevenoaks for no reply. In the North, Beeston’s women start the season at the top with a 5-1 win over Whitley Bay & Tynemouth, while in the East, University of Birmingham inflicted a 9-0 defeat on Exe – Liz George scoring a hat-tick there – and Firebrands saw off Rover Oxford 7-1.
There are some late starts in the Men's Premiership, the results of which will appear here tomorrow.
Photographs from the Slough versus Trojan match will appear on our main web site at www.talkhockeyradio.co.uk soon.
