That was the season that was. Or at least that is the end of weekend
Investec Women’s League matches for this season. Who are the Champions, and who
will qualify for Europe, will be decided in three weeks time at the
Championship Play-offs at Reading. Today was all about the bragging rights of having
topped the Premier Division table, and qualifying for the promotion play-offs
The end-of-season tussle for top of the Premiership between
Canterbury and Reading added a bit of spice to a season that would otherwise have
ended on a dull note. There has not been
a change in the table since 22 February. What added an additional element to
today’s proceedings was the possibility that the two leaders could end on the
same points, with the potential of the league having to consider an appeal by
Canterbury to be granted better than a nominal 3-0 win after Olton’s no-show
last weekend. No doubt the League
organisers can breathe a sigh of relief after today’s matches.
Canterbury was one point ahead of Reading this morning, but Reading’s
goal difference was +38 as opposed to Canterbury’s +22, so they really needed a
win to guarantee the top spot. The Kent
side travelled to Clifton where a goal in each half, one from Nicola Lloyd and
one from Kimberly Young gave them a 0-2 win and the points they needed. Meanwhile, things did not seem to be going
too well at Reading where Natalie Wray opened the scoring for visiting Bowdon
Hightown after only seven minutes. Twenty minutes later Emma Thomas scored a
penalty corner Reading and, after that, Reading took control with goals from
Rebecca Halle and Sam Quek, and two from Jessica Brooker.
At the bottom end of the table relegated Olton & West
Warwicks went down 0-4 to Leicester. Sutton Coldfield, in the relegation
play-off spot, lost 0-4 to Leicester.
In the other Premier Division match, Surbiton beat Beeston
2-0.
The contenders for the League Championship Play-offs were
already known before today’s matches, but just for the record (and in the order
that they finished the league) they are Canterbury, Reading, Surbiton and
Clifton.
It was also no-change in the Conference North. Brooklands kept their lead by beating Kendal 1-4.
They now qualify for the promotion play-offs. At the table’s basement end,
Doncaster had an opportunity to avoid automatic relegation. They were three
points behind ninth placed Boots, but had a much better goal difference. In the
cruellest of blows, Ben Rhydding’s Laura Smith stole Doncaster’s first-half
lead with her second of the match. Final score 2-2 and Doncaster are relegated.
Just to run salt into the wound, Boots lost 1-0 at Loughborough Students, so
they could have been overtaken. Boots
now go into the relegation play-offs.
All the issues in the Conference
West had already been decided before today and there were no changes to the
table after this afternoon’s matches. Leaders,
Buckingham, won their match at home to Gloucester City. Buckingham had already
qualified for the promotion play-offs.
The bottom of the table meeting between Exe and Barnes ended 2-3 to
Barnes. Exe are relegated and Barnes are
in the relegation play-off spot.
We’ve left the best until last, for although Holcombe have
run away with the Conference East, the bottom end of the table remained in a
state of flux this morning. Holcombe
beat St Albans 0-5 away and have finished 14 point clear at the top of the
division. At the other end of the table
there were no less than five clubs who were candidates for relegation or the
relegation play-offs. The final
positions hinged on two matches this afternoon. Ipswich put Old Loughtonians to
the sword, although they left it relatively late. Goals from Sarah Bamfield and
Kathryn Wrinch in the 50th and 54th minutes gave Ipswich
a 0-2 win and condemns the Loughts to relegation. Ipswich narrowly miss the
relegation play-offs by finishing eighth.
That honour goes to Chelmsford, thanks to an early second-half goal from
Kat Hales which gave them a 1-0 win against Wimbledon.
FULL RESULTS AND TABLES CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.TALKHOCKEYRADIO.CO.UK.
