East Grinstead missed their opportunity to go top of the Slazenger EHL Premier Division this afternoon. Yesterday’s one point gap between them and leaders Cannock, opened up to four points during the course of this afternoon. Cannock picked up the maximum points against bottom place Southgate, beating them 2-0 with goals by David Harris and Gareth Andrew. Reading, who had been cheering East Grinstead on in Lille last weekend, showed less support when the two sides met at Sonning Lane. Reading’s Richard Mantell opened the scoring early in the game and it was he who scored the winner, shortly before half time. Final score 3-2 to Reading. Reading’s other scorer was Jonty Clarke, with East Grinstead’s Martin Haner scoring their two. Hampstead and Westminster pulled themselves away from the danger zone by a comprehensive win over Loughborough Students at home. The Students took an early lead through Simon Faulkner and Nick Catlin, but the match went into the break at 2-2 after Edward Bevan and David Eakins equalised for the Londoners. Two more second-half goals from Eakins and a goal from Will Naylor gave Hampstead a 5-2 win and a very valuable three points. Havant’s Ahmed Ezz Mohamed was on the score sheet early when Havant entertained Surbiton but Rob Moore scored for the visitors just before the break. Surbiton went ahead shortly after the re-start via Ben Tibble but Tim Davenport was able to scrape Havant’s first point of the season with a late equaliser. After six matches Havant and Southgate share the bottom place, the decider possibly being when the two sides meet at the end of November. The weather got in the way of the match between last season’s cup finalists, Beeston and Bowdon, the pitch at Highfields being waterlogged.
SLAZENGER MEN’S EHL PREMIER DIVISION: 1. Cannock 16 pts (+16), 2. Reading 14 pts (+9), 3. East Grinstead 12 pts (+7), 4. Beeston 10 pts (+11)*, 5. Bowdon 9 pts (-4)*, 6. Surbiton 7 pts (+0), 7. Hampstead & Westminster 7 pts (-3), 8. Loughborough Students 3 pts (-6), Jt 9. Havant 1 pt (-15), Jt 9. Southgate 1 pt (-15). *Beeston and Bowdon have a game in hand.
In the Conferences, Old Georgians’ challenge for the top place in the West faltered after they were held to a remarkable 5-5 draw at Team Bath Buccaneers. The old boys were trailing 3-1 at half time and were 4-2 behind with ten minutes of play left but, in a golden spell, goals from Adam Lewes, James Kingstone and Gareth Carr, briefly put them in the lead. Bath’s James Kellock scored his second in the last minute of the match to equalise. Leaders, University of Exeter, stay two points ahead of OGs after a 5-2 win away at Firebrands. In the East Conference, Canterbury lost their 100% record, going down 3-2 to Sevenoaks. Sevenoaks are now only two points behind Canterbury. In the North the three leaders are separated by only one point. Brooklands stay in the lead after beating Sheffield Hallam 3-2, whilst Belper pushed Leek into fourth place when the two side’s met. Belper took the honours there, 2-1. University of Durham beat Doncaster 3-2.
