The Premier and First Divisions of the Slazenger EHL kick off this weekend and today (Saturday) saw the opening exchanges in the women’s divisions. It was a disappointing start for the debutantes in the Premier Division, with Clifton suffering at the hands of a Bowdon side who look set to continue their free-scoring ways of last season. Poynton could have sent their visitors from Canterbury home with only one point but their Cath Linaker failed to convert a 23rd minute penalty stroke and the match finished 3-2 in Canterbury’s favour, with the winner coming off the stick of one Sarah Kerly. It was a similar story at Slough where the home side were entertaining Olton & West Warwickshire. In a match that finished 2-1 to Slough, the visitors must regret the 27th minute penalty stroke that they were unable to convert. After one match Bowdon go top on superior goal difference. With the availability of Great Britain players being in doubt, this just could be Bowdon’s season.
Women’s Premier Division:
Bowdon 5 – 1 Clifton
Chelmsford 3 – 2 Old Loughtonians
Leicester 2 – Ipswich 2
Poynton 2 – Canterbury 3
Slough 2 – 1 Olton & West Warwicks
The first day in Women’s Division One saw some high scores. Lisa Garbutt found the net four times in her side’s 7-0 defeat of Harleston Magpies. Newly promoted Reading put six passed Doncaster with Jenna Woolven scoring a hat-trick, and in the clash of the universities at Durham, Birmingham came away with three points after beating the home side 6-1. Relegated Sutton Coldfield beat one of last season’s promotion prospects, Barnes, 3-1, with Sutton’s Vicky Woolford scoring all her side’s goals.
Women’s Division One:
University of Durham 1 – 6 University of Birmingham
Harleston Magpies 0 – 7 Sunderland
Reading 6 – 1 Doncaster
Sutton Coldfield 3 – 1 Barnes
Trojans 2 – 2 Loughborough Students
In other divisions, the men’s EHL North and South played today. David Matthews arrival at Holcombe reminds one of the old Holcombe of a few seasons back – free scoring but with a leaky defence. Matthews scored four times in Holcombe’s 6-3 defeat of Whitchurch. For a high scoring match you could not have done much better than a visit to the University of Exeter, where Robinsons were on the losing end of a 8-4 scoreline. Teddington’s woes continue after last week’s debacle when they could not raise a team. They went down 2-1 at Firebrands. In the North there were more high scores, where the menfolk from the University of Birmingham came close to emulating their women by beating Barford Tigers 5-3. Kingston-upon-Hull beat Harrogate 5-0, Leek beat Formby 5-3, and Stourport beat Telford & Wrekin 6-3 with four of Stourport’s goals coming from penalty corner’s by Imran Yousaf.
In the Women’s North Division only Cannock and Ben Rhydding are on maximum points afer two matches, with Cannock beating Whitley Bay 3-0 and Ben Rhydding overcoming Liverpool Sefton 3-1. Staines are the only South Division team on maximum points after their 4-1 defeat of St Austell. We featured the match between Horsham and Taunton Vale last week and this week it was Horsham’s turn to go on the road with a visit to Exe, a match which ended in a goalless draw. Taunton Vale are finding promotion to the EHL difficult. They entertained Woking today, with all the goals in the first half. Having briefly taken a 2-1 lead in the 24th minute, they then conceded a penalty stroke and a goal just before the break, to lose 2-3.
