You could almost taste the tension as Bowdon – crowned Champions weeks ago – went into this afternoon’s match against Canterbury on the final day of play of this season’s Slazenger EHL Women’s Premier Division. There were prizes at stake for both sides. A win for Bowdon would have given them an astonishing 18 wins out of 18 matches, plus a confidence boost into next weekend’s Cup semi-final and the European Cup Winners Cup the weekend after that. For Canterbury there was an outside chance of a place in Europe next year, dependent on the result between Olton and Poynton. Canterbury had suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of Bowdon earlier in the season and were full of confidence that they could crack the return fixture at home.
Bowdon opened the scoring, Tina Cullen finding the net halfway through the first period, and that is how the match stood at the re-start. But it was clear that not all was well with Bowdon. Some clumsy tackling had earned them more than their fair share of free hits and it was not long before the yellow cards started to come out. Kirsty MacKay in the Bowdon goal did her best to keep the hordes at bay, but Canterbury scored a well-earned equaliser after 20 minutes of second half play off the stick of Natasha Brennan. Six minutes later Cindy Botha scored Canterbury’s second, and we hardly had time to write down the name of the scorer before Brennan scored her second from a penalty corner. Final score 3-1 to Canterbury. Not quite a rout, but an uncomfortable experience for a side which has not tasted defeat in the league or Cup all season. The game also evidences the enormous progress made by Canterbury under the guiding hand of their coach, Ian Jennings (pictured).
Canterbury’s fairy tale end to the season was wrecked by Denise-Marston Smith, whose 43rd minute goal against Poynton gave Olton & West Warwicks a 3-2 win and keeps them in second place, one point ahead of Canterbury. The match at the basement end of the table between Ipswich and Chelmsford ended in a 2-2 draw, whilst Trojans also earned a single point when they drew 1-1 against visiting Clifton. Slough made most of the running at home to Leicester with a goal in each half, the first from Alex Scott and the second from Lauren Penny. Kerry Williams scored a consolation goal from the penalty spot in the dying seconds of the match.
SLAZENGER ENGLAND HOCKEY LEAGUE, WOMEN’S PREMIER DIVISION:
Champions: Bowdon Hightown 51 points (+48)
Runners-up: Olton & West Warwicks 36 points (+32)
Relegation play-offs: Ipswich 9 points (-36)
Relegated: Chelmsford 5 points (-71)
The play-off place for promotion to the Premier Division from the WOMEN’S CONFERENCE EAST had been decided in Reading’s favour several weeks ago, but relegation issues still had to be decided. Despite Sevenoaks winning their match against Barnes 3-2, with two of their goals being scored in the last two minutes, they failed to acquire sufficient goal difference to overtake Horsham in eighth place. Horsham had gone down to Staines 2-0, allowing Staines to move out of harms way. Maidstone’s fate has been known for some time and they are automatically relegated.
SLAZENGER ENGLAND HOCKEY LEAGUE, WOMEN’S EAST CONFERENCE:
Promotion play-offs: Reading 49 points (+52)
Runners-up: Old Loughtonians 33 points (+9)
Relegation play-offs: Sevenoaks 19 points (-36)
Relegated: Maidstone 9 points (-27)
The championship place in the WOMEN’S NORTH CONFERENCE had still been wide open this morning, with both University of Durham and Loughborough Students in contention. Loughborough Students put four passed Liverpool Sefton for no reply, but remain in second place by virtue of Durham’s win in the local derby against Sunderland. Sunderland had given Durham a good run for their money, but three late goals gave Durham the 6-2 win. At the other end of the table the match between Whitley Bay and Ben Rhydding merely served to decide which of the two would be automatically relegated and which would win a play-off place. Whitley Bay emerged 2-0 winners from that meeting and so Ben Rhydding are relegated.
SLAZENGER ENGLAND HOCKEY LEAGUE, WOMEN’S NORTH CONFERENCE:
Promotion play-offs: University of Durham 46 points (+45)
Runners-up: Loughborough Students 45 points (+44)
Relegation play-offs: Whitley Bay and Tynemouth 14 points (-23)
Relegated: Ben Rhydding 11 points (-25)
In the WOMEN’S WEST CONFERENCE all the important issues had already been decided before today. Second placed Sutton Coldfield gave an unwelcome farewell present to relegated St Austell, winning the match 7-0. Champions, University of Birmingham, topped off their championship with a 5-0 win over Swansea.
SLAZENGER ENGLAND HOCKEY LEAGUE, WOMEN’S WEST CONFERENCE:
Promotion play-offs: University of Birmingham 50 points (+98)
Runners-up: Sutton Coldfield 41 points (+33)
Relegation play-offs: Rover Oxford 13 points (-44)
Relegated: St Austell 5 points (-42)
