Bowdon Hightown have reached the winter break with their remarkable 100% record intact, making them the only side in the Slazenger EHL to get to this stage without dropping a point. Their Women’s Premier Division match against Canterbury promised to be a stern test of their record but an early goal from Tina Cullen was sufficient to give them the three points. The gap between Bowdon and second place opened up to nine points after Slough went down to a goal by Lucy Brown in their 1-0 defeat at Leicester. Olton & West Warwicks move into second following their 2-1 win at home to Poynton, Naomi James scoring both of Olton’s goals. At the basement end of the division, Chelmsford picked up their first point of the season with a 1-1 draw at fellow strugglers Ipswich. Clifton played hosts to Trojans and sent their visitors home without a point, beating the Hampshire side 3-1, with Clifton’s goals coming from Fleur Horner, Harriett Pearce and Elen Mumford.
SLAZENGER EHL WOMEN’S PREMIER DIVISION: 1. Bowdon 27 pts (+18), 2. Olton & WW 18 pts (+13), 3. Slough 16 pts (+13), 4. Canterbury 16 pts (+12), 5. Leicester 14 pts (+4), 6. Clifton 13 pts (+1), 7. Poynton 9 pts (-5), 8. Trojans 7 pts (-6), 9. Ipswich 5 pts (-19), 10. Chelmsford 1 pt (-31). Chelmsford and Clifton have a game in hand (due to be played on 1/2/09).
Reading and Barnes maintain the charge at the top of the Women’s East Conference. Reading, who have a lead of one point over Barnes, inflicted a 5-1 defeat on Maidstone, Reading’s goals coming from Becky Dru, Vicyy Bryant (2) and Claire Kerry (2). Barnes had temporarily found themselves trailing at Sevenoaks after Fiona Harland opened the scoring from a penalty corner but eventually managed to win the match 3-2. The match between Old Loughtonians and St Albans had to be postponed due to the absence of an umpire.
In the North Conference Loughborough Students maintain their seven point lead after a 3-1 win at Liverpool Sefton, all the goals coming in the last seventeen minutes. Belper, in second place, had a useful 4-0 win over Doncaster. The match between Sunderland and University of Durham fell foul of a frozen pitch and now Durham and Sunderland are both two games in hand. Five was the figure for the two front runners in the West Conference. Birmingham University retain their four point lead after beating Swansea 5-0, whilst second placed Cannock benefited from Charlotte Craddock hat-trick in their 5-1 win over Rover Oxford.
