SURBITON SLIP FURTHER BEHIND

England's gain in proving to be Surbiton's loss, as this afternoon's match against Loughborough Students proved. When the season went into the winter break they were leading the Premiership by two points, but three games into the second half of the season they have only recorded one point.

Denuded of their England players, Surbiton look like a team that are used to winning, with some occasional flashes of brilliance. But, as was demonstrated this afternoon, they are sorely missing their internationals. Simon Faulkner found the net early for the Students from a penalty corner and could well have taken all the points from the game. It was by little more than a blade's width of Ali McGregor's stick (see picture) that Tim Pinnock was able to equalise for Surbiton from a penalty corner, and salvage a point for Surbiton.

Reading maintained their lead with a 1-0 win at Cannock and East Grinstead are closing on Surbiton with a 2-1 win of Exeter University. Bowdon beat near neighbours Brooklands 4-1 to keep in touch with East Grinstead but Beeston slipped up at Paddington Rec where they were beaten 3-0 by Hampstead and Westminster.

All looks lost for University of Exeter who are at the bottom of the table on five points. Brookslands are in the play-off place but are only two points behind Loughborough Students.

The East Conference, as competitive as ever, continues to be a race between Old Loughtonians and Canterbury. Both are separated by goal difference and both were involved in high scoring matches today. Old Loughtonians overcame Indian Gymkhana 7-1 whilst Cantebury beat Harleston Magpies 5-3.

In the North both Leek and Sheffield University Bankers drew, opening up the margin between them and leaders Deeside Ramblers to nine points. The Ramblers beat Harborne 5-3.

The bottom of the West Conference looks perilously tight with five clubs looking possible relegation candidates. Plymouth Marjon in bottom place, beat third place Fareham 2-1, and although it still leaves them in bottom place, it greatly enhances their chances of evading the drop.

Results and tables for 28 February 2010:

Men's Premier Division

Bowdon		(2)		4	-	1		(0)		Brooklands MU
Ian Wilson 1 - F Andrew Brogdon 30 - F David Egerton 44 - F Simon Egerton 70 - F										David Seddon 45 - PC
University of Exeter		(0)		1	-	2		(1)		East Grinstead
Ed Kelleher 55 - PC										Ben Payne 1 - F Rick Gay 64 - PC
Hampstead and Westminster		(3)		3	-	0		(0)		Beeston
Andy Cornick 6 - F Will Naylor 8 16 - F F
Reading		(1)		1	-	0		(0)		Cannock
Warren D'Souza 32 - F
Surbiton		(0)		1	-	1		(1)		Loughborough Students
Tim Pinnock 39 - PC										Simon Faulkner 6 - PC

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Reading	13	10	3	0	41	18	23	33
2	Surbiton	13	8	3	2	46	31	15	27
3	East Grinstead	13	6	4	3	47	36	11	22
4	Bowdon	14	4	7	3	33	26	7	19
5	Beeston	13	5	4	4	33	30	3	19
6	Cannock	13	4	4	5	30	29	1	16
7	Hampstead and Westminster	13	5	1	7	20	25	-5	16
8	Loughborough Students	13	3	4	6	19	29	-10	13
9	Brooklands MU	13	3	2	8	22	39	-17	11
10	University of Exeter	14	1	2	11	18	46	-28	5

Men's Conference East

Old Loughtonians		(5)		7	-	1		(0)		Indian Gymkhana
Alex Jennings 3 14 43 46 - F F PS PS Stuart Robson 6 - F Leroy Phillips 18 - F Oliver Didham 24 - PC										Miguel Garrido Serra 46 - F
Oxted		(1)		3	-	2		(0)		Bromley and Beckenham
Andrew Baggs 23 - F Richard Arscott 56 - F Ian Anderson 65 - F										Mike Hughes 45 - PC Dalan Phillips 56 - F
Harleston Magpies		(1)		3	-	5		(3)		Canterbury
Andy Hipwell 10 55 - F F Tristan Baynes 44 - PS										Kwan Browne 3 46 50 - PC PS PS Matthew Bunyan 13 - F Michael Farrer 68 - PC
Sevenoaks		(2)		4	-	3		(1)		Chelmsford
Ben Allberry 4 33 - PS F Sam Ornbo 49 - F Pete Turner 66 - PC										Adrian Palmer 27 - PC Edward Stanhope 40 - F Adam Hunter 54 - PC

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Old Loughtonians	14	12	1	1	58	22	36	37
2	Canterbury	14	12	1	1	51	22	29	37
3	Southgate	14	8	2	4	33	28	5	26
4	Oxted	14	7	2	5	32	33	-1	23
5	Holcombe	14	5	6	3	35	26	9	21
6	Sevenoaks	14	5	2	7	31	34	-3	17
7	Harleston Magpies	14	3	5	6	30	34	-4	14
8	Bromley and Beckenham	14	2	4	8	30	41	-11	10
9	Indian Gymkhana	14	2	2	10	25	52	-27	8
10	Chelmsford	14	1	1	12	29	62	-33	4

Men's Conference North

Deeside Ramblers		(3)		5	-	3		(0)		Harborne
Ali Ghazanfar 4 24 37 55 - F PC PC F Trevor Merrick 25 - F										Howel Morris 43 - F Alex Kotlarzewski 57 - F James Wright 65 - PC
University of Durham		(0)		1	-	1		(0)		Sheffield University Bankers
Scott Cooper 56 - PC										David Smith 64 - F
Formby		(0)		0	-	2		(0)		Belper
										Tom Sherratt 37 - F James Blackwell 61 - F
Leek		(0)		0	-	0		(0)		Barford Tigers
Sheffield Hallam Civica		(2)		5	-	0		(0)		Doncaster
Dan Berry 4 26 - F F Steve Andrews 54 - PC Tristan Gilbody 61 - F Will Hearne 63 - F

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Deeside Ramblers	13	11	1	1	56	24	32	34
2	Sheffield Hallam Civica	13	8	1	4	45	25	20	25
3	Leek	13	8	1	4	37	27	10	25
4	Harborne	13	6	3	4	33	26	7	21
5	University of Durham	13	6	2	5	31	31	0	20
6	Doncaster	13	5	2	6	19	32	-13	17
7	Belper	13	5	0	8	30	32	-2	15
8	Sheffield University Bankers	13	4	2	7	22	33	-11	14
9	Barford Tigers	13	1	6	6	28	42	-14	9
10	Formby	13	1	2	10	16	45	-29	5

Men's Conference West

University of Birmingham		(2)		4	-	2		(2)		Whitchurch
Nils Lloyd-Penny 7 - F Peter Jackson 20 - PC Nick Rees 47 - F Ben Stoney 67 - F										Laith El Khatib 8 - F Rhys Gowman 12 - PC
Guildford		(1)		6	-	0		(0)		Bournville
Tom Batchelor 34 - F William Blockley 42 47 49 - F F PC Daniel Emery 52 - PC Christopher Rawlings 60 - F
Havant		(0)		0	-	3		(1)		Team Bath Buccaneers
										Tim Davenport 32 40 65 - F F F
Plymouth Marjon		(0)		2	-	1		(0)		Fareham
Simon Fenwick 41 - PC Calum Giles 70 - PC										Geoff Abbott 60 - PC
Stourport		(0)		1	-	3		(1)		Old Georgians
David Westhead 38 - F										Nicky Thompson 26 63 - F F Adam Lewis 49 - F

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Team Bath Buccaneers	14	12	1	1	56	29	27	37
2	Guildford	14	6	4	4	33	23	10	22
3	Fareham	14	6	2	6	37	31	6	20
4	Whitchurch	14	6	2	6	36	35	1	20
5	Bournville	13	5	4	4	32	40	-8	19
6	Stourport	13	4	4	5	27	30	-3	16
7	University of Birmingham	13	4	2	7	31	32	-1	14
8	Havant	13	3	5	5	27	35	-8	14
9	Old Georgians	14	4	2	8	32	44	-12	14
10	Plymouth Marjon	14	3	4	7	28	40	-12	13