Photo: England Hockey's photographer, Ady Kerry, looks on as the rabbit skips across his camera equipment (photo: HockeyImages.co.uk).We have been writing about hockey for the best part of 25 years and have seen matches delayed for all sorts of reasons, but the further delay to the 16:30 start to Slough's first home match of the season was caused by the most unusual of reasons. Just as the whistle to start the match was about to be blown, a rabbit appeared on the pitch and was unable to make a speedy exit due to the perimeter fence around the pitch. Some found the efforts to round up the rabbit more entertaining than the match itself.
When the match started, it was almost a case of the Curse of the Were-Rabbit as far was Slough was concerned. Playing host to last season's leaders, Leicester, they fell foul to a spectacular goal after only nine minutes, when Rebecca Herbert found the net. Herbert doubled the lead shortly after the break and Hannah Smith gave Becky Duggan in the Slough goal little chance from a penalty corner strike 14 minutes later. Maddy Hinch was hardly troubled in the Leicester goal and, although the match was anything but one-sided, it sends out a warning to other sides in the Women's Premier Division. Both teams were absent their internationals, due to travel out to Delhi for the Commonwealth Games, but Leicester's youngsters filled the gap well. They will be the side to watch.
Elsewhere in the Women's Premier Division, Bowdon Hightown pulled off a surprise win against Reading at home. We say 'surprise' because Bowdon have suffered futher losses from their depleting squad during the Summer, including the defection of the very talented Sam Quek to....yes, Reading! Two young old faces returned to Canterbury in the form of Hayley Brown and Susannah Townsend, to take part in a high scoring match against Brooklands Poynton. Both scored a goal apiece in their 7-5 win. Now under the direction of Nick Clark, the England under 21 coach, they look as if they will be strong this season.
The Women's Conference East saw the debutantes from Surbiton and Dereham facing each other, which saw Surbiton emerge as 5-1 winners. Springfields UCLAN had a less comfortable debut to national league hockey as they went down 1-6 to Bradford Wakefield in the North Conference. Amy Sheehan managed to grab a late winner in the West Conference match between new girls Isca and Barnes Hounslow Ealing to give Isca the three points.
IN THE MEN'S SECOND TEST AGAINST FRANCE AT LILLESHALL THIS MORNING, second half goals from Glenn Kirkham, Iain Mackay, Rob Moore and Simon Mantell, gave England a 4-0 win.
TODAY'S RESULTS AND TABLES FROM THE ENGLAND HOCKEY LEAGUE
Women's Premier Division |
Bowdon Hightown |
| (1) |
| 3 | - | 1 |
| (1) |
| Reading |
Tina Cullen 7 46 - F PC |
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| Chantal De Bruijn 14 - PC | |
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Canterbury |
| (4) |
| 7 | - | 5 |
| (1) |
| Brooklands Poynton |
Natasha Brennan 4 63 - PC F |
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| Sarah Hopkin 19 - PC | |
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Clifton |
| (3) |
| 5 | - | 2 |
| (0) |
| Olton & West Warwicks |
Carys Hopkins 13 33 - F F |
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| Jenny Pritchard 42 - PC | |
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Slough |
| (0) |
| 0 | - | 3 |
| (1) |
| Leicester |
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| Rebecca Herbert 9 42 - F F | ||
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University of Birmingham |
| (1) |
| 3 | - | 2 |
| (1) |
| Cannock |
Ashlie Caddick 31 - PC |
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| Joanna Leigh 25 54 - F PC | |
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| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
1 | Clifton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
2 | Leicester | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
3 | Canterbury | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
4 | Bowdon Hightown | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
5 | University of Birmingham | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
6 | Cannock | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 0 |
7 | Brooklands Poynton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 | -2 | 0 |
8 | Reading | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
9 | Olton & West Warwicks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 0 |
10 | Slough | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
Women's Conference East |
Chelmsford |
| (1) |
| 5 | - | 0 |
| (0) |
| Harleston Magpies |
Libby Knifton 18 - PC |
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Horsham |
| (0) |
| 1 | - | 1 |
| (1) |
| St. Albans |
Fran Crossley 56 - PC |
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| Claire Beattie 14 - F | |
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Old Loughtonians |
| (1) |
| 1 | - | 2 |
| (0) |
| Ipswich |
Anna Coppel 6 - F |
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| Catriona Mcdonald 45 - F | |
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Sevenoaks |
| (3) |
| 4 | - | 0 |
| (0) |
| Cambridge City |
Fiona Harland 9 21 - F PC |
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Surbiton |
| (2) |
| 5 | - | 1 |
| (0) |
| Dereham |
Vicky Bryant 2 - PC |
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| Helen Durrans 61 - PC | |
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| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
1 | Chelmsford | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
2 | Surbiton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
3 | Sevenoaks | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
4 | Ipswich | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
5 | Horsham | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
6 | St. Albans | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
7 | Old Loughtonians | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
8 | Dereham | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 |
9 | Cambridge City | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 0 |
10 | Harleston Magpies | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 0 |
Women's Conference North |
Beeston |
| (1) |
| 1 | - | 2 |
| (2) |
| Aldridge |
Sophie Robinson 6 - F |
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| Helen Jelley 19 28 - PC PC | |
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Belper |
| (0) |
| 1 | - | 3 |
| (2) |
| Sunderland Ladies |
Sally Walton 49 - F |
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| Julie Hope 9 67 - F F | |
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Doncaster |
| (1) |
| 3 | - | 3 |
| (2) |
| Loughborough Students |
Charlotte Tomlin 22 - PC |
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| Holly Brown 2 26 - F F | |
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University of Durham |
| (0) |
| 1 | - | 2 |
| (1) |
| Sutton Coldfield |
Nicki Mollison 67 - PC |
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| Celia Butler 16 70 - F F | |
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Springfields UCLAN |
| (1) |
| 1 | - | 6 |
| (0) |
| Wakefield Bradford |
Leanne Sharples 24 - F |
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| Gwen Smith 50 - PC | |
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| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
1 | Wakefield Bradford | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
2 | Sunderland Ladies | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
3 | Aldridge | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
4 | Sutton Coldfield | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
5 | Doncaster | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
6 | Loughborough Students | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
7 | Beeston | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
8 | University of Durham | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
9 | Belper | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
10 | Springfields UCLAN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 0 |
Women's Conference West |
Barnes Hounslow Ealing |
| (0) |
| 1 | - | 2 |
| (1) |
| Isca |
Kym Shaen-Carter 63 - PC |
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| Kate Kaye 15 - F | |
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Buckingham |
| (1) |
| 1 | - | 1 |
| (0) |
| Trojans |
Leanne Grimsley 30 - F |
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| Alice Pyrgos 43 - F | |
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Exe |
| (0) |
| 1 | - | 1 |
| (1) |
| Staines |
Liz Perry 66 - PC |
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| Lisa Ravenscroft 23 - F | |
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Team Bath Buccaneers |
| (0) |
| 1 | - | 2 |
| (1) |
| Firebrands |
Zoe Shipperley 68 - PC |
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| Sophie Ainge 2 70 - F F | |
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Worcester |
| (0) |
| 0 | - | 3 |
| (1) |
| Swansea |
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| Katrin Budd 15 - PC | ||
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| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
1 | Swansea | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
2 | Firebrands | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
3 | Isca | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
4 | Buckingham | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
5 | Exe | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
6 | Staines | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
7 | Trojans | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
8 | Barnes Hounslow Ealing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
9 | Team Bath Buccaneers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
10 | Worcester | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
