WEATHER CUTS SLAZENGER RE-START

The Slazenger EHL reopened today after its winter break with matches in Women’s Division One and both National North and South Divisions. The day was plagued by cancellations caused by frozen pitches, with the men’s National North being the worst affected, with only the match between Formby and City of Peterborough surviving. Formby emerged the 4-3 winners there. Women’s North lost two matches, those at Nottingham Highfields and Whitley Bay. Both top and bottom of the table remain unchanged. All the matches in Women’s National South started, although the game between leaders Staines, and Horsham, had to be abandoned when umpire Annika Midwinter was struck by a deflected penalty corner shot. She bravely soldiered on until half time, when she was forced to retire. The lack of points there has closed the gap between Staines and chasing Swansea to five points.

Women’s Division One lost two matches due to the weather – the games between Birmingham Uni and Trojans, and Durham Unit and Reading. Despite this the table remains unchanged.

Teddington men won only their second point in two seasons when the troubled Slazenger EHL National South side visited Holcombe this afternoon. James Maxwell opened the scoring for the visitors early in the second half but Holcombe were quick to respond, courtesy of Paul Rudd. The other bottom of the table clash, between 10^th placed Robinsons and 11^th placed University of Cambridge, ended5-2 in the students’ favour. The top of the table remains unchanged with University of Exeter leading, one point ahead of Sevenoaks.