The two leaders in the Investec Women's League, Reading and Leicester were not playing today, which gave the clubs underneath them a chance to catch up. Clifton made the most of it with a 4-0 win over Olton & West Warwicks, whilst Canterbury missed their chance with a surprising 3-3 draw against ninth placed Sutton Coldfield. Slough and Birmingham University, both of whom are perilously close to the wrong end of the table, could only record a 0-0 draw.
Currently the leaders, Reading, are eight points ahead of third placed Clifton and with two games in hand. Second place Leicester have a one point gap between them and Clifton, but Leicester also have two games in hand. Sixth place Bowdon are not playing this weekend as they are in Prague for the European Indoor Club Championships, where they have reached the finals.
TalkHockeyRadio went to Maidstone to watch them play the once great Chelmsford. Unfortunately it ranks as one of the worst matches we have seen this season. One was starting to wonder why they had bothered to erect goals at either end of the pitch until Chelmsford's Loren Sherer opened the scoring sixth minute into the second half. She followed it up with a second seven minutes later, signalling a virtual collapse of Maidstone's defence. Hayley Heggie and Geogia Herron added two more to the tally. The final score, 4-1 to Chelmsford, the home side's only goal coming from a penalty stroke. At least the weather was good. Elsewhere in the East Conference, Surbiton kept up their lead at the top of the table with a 4-0 win away at Maidstone. They are being closely chased by St Albans, who recorded a 2-1 over lowly Horsham.
In the North Conference, Beeston are five points clear, with a 5-0 win over Liverpool Sefton. In the West Conference Buckingham recorded their 12th win of the season when they beat Barnes Hounslow Ealing 2-0.
In the Men's Cup, Bowdon reached the semi finals by beating Southgate 4-1.
Full results from today's cup and league matches are on our main web site at www.talkhockeyradio.co.uk. Pictures of the match between Maidstone and Chelmsford are on our pictures site at www.hockeyimages.co.uk.
