Cannock clinched their 7th Men’s EHL title with a 1-0 win over third placed Loughborough Students on the weekend.
Simon Ramsden scored the only goal of the game with an early corner conversion. With their nearest rivals Reading only drawing 2-2 at playoff threatened Hampstead, Cannock’s lead on Saturday night was an unassailable eight points.
Reading, Loughborough, who beat Hampstead 3-0 on Sunday, were able to book their Super Cup place along with Cannock and Reading with the last place going to the tournament hosts Guildford thanks to their 4-0 defeat of Canterbury on Saturday which saw Danny Hall net all their goals.
At the other end of the table, Teddington are fighting desperately to maintain their record as the only men’s club to have unbroken membership of the league’s top flight. On Saturday they played hosts to Firebrands who were two points and one place above them occupying the playoff place at start of play.
With 70 minutes on the clock it looked like it would be status quo as the score read 1-1 before Mikey Williamson popped up with a last gasp winner to move Teddington a crucial one point and place above the Bristol side.
Teddington’s weekend got even better on Sunday when they beat Guildford 3-1 and this would have guaranteed a playoff place had Firebrands not bounced back well to take a point from Cannock in a 3-3 draw.
This Sunday, Firebrands play bottom of the table St Albans and Teddington play local rivals Surbiton knowing that a point would guarantee a playoff berth. The other playoff place is currently occupied by Hampstead. They trail Canterbury by a point and with Chelmsford taking six points from the weekend and Old Loughtonians beating Canterbury 2-1 to both move to safety, all may hinge on the Hampstead-Canterbury meeting on Sunday, unless Canterbury beat Loughborough in their re-arranged match on Saturday.
Fyffes Leicester are now within touching distance of the Women’s Premier 1 title after a 4-2 win against Slough which saw two goals for the Hockey Writers’ Young Player of the Year Becky Herbert.
Leicester’s nearest rivals Ipswich also won 2-0 at Clifton but they trail them by three points with a vastly inferior goal difference. These two teams will join Canterbury, who drew 2-2 with Olton and Chelmsford, 2-0 winners over Harleston, in the Super Cup at Guildford at the end of May.
At the foot of the table, Doncaster met Trojans in a crucial relegation battle and won 4-0 to mean that the Southampton side are relegated. Harleston are in the playoffs and the final place rests between Clifton and Doncaster who trail the Bristol side by a point but have a slightly better goal difference. This Saturday Doncaster travel to Slough and Clifton to Olton.
Results
Men – 9 April
Cannock 1 defeated Loughborough Students 0
Goals: Cannock - Simon Ramsden PC 8m
Guildford 4 defeated Canterbury 0
Goals: Guildford - Danny Hall FG 11m FG 53m PS 60m FG 64m
Hampstead & Westminster 2 drew Reading 2
Goals: Hampstead & Westminster - Will Nurse PC 20m, Max Mayer-Aull PC 45m; Reading - Andy Watts FG 30m, David Tyler FG 50m
Chelmsford 2 defeated Old Loughtonians 0
Goals: Chelmsford - David De Prez PC 11m, Luke Mepham PC 33m
Surbiton 5 defeated St Albans 0
Goals: Surbiton - James Burns FG 12m, Tim Pinnock PC 30m, James Webber FG 46m PC 65m, Samuel Houlston FG 67m
Teddington 2 defeated Firebrands 1
Goals: Teddington - Jason Laslett FG 36m, Mike Williamson FG 70m; Firebrands; Alistair Gunn FG 18m
Men – 10 April
Cannock 3 drew Firebrands 3
Goals: Cannock - Richard Lane FG 16m PC 69m, Chris Mayer FG 25m; Firebrands - Simon Lanyon PC 3m FG 51m PC 58m
Old Loughtonians 2 defeated Canterbury 1
Goals: Old Loughtonians - Oliver Didham FG 57m, Mike Cullen FG 68m; Canterbury - Stewart Keir FG 51m
Loughborough Students 3 defeated Hampstead & Westminster 0
Goals: Loughborough Students - Jess Dowsing FG 26m FG 38m, David Ralph FG 35m
Reading 4 defeated Surbiton 3
Goals: Reading - Simon Mantell FG 11m PS 38m FG 46, Andy Watts FG 45m; Surbiton - John Grice FG 16m FG 36m FG 46m
Chelmsford 1 defeated St Albans 0
Goals: Chelmsford – Phil Sully FG 60m
Teddington 3 defeated Guildford 1
Goals: Teddington - Danny Haydon FG 41m, Ben Riches FG 45m, Chua Boon Huat FG 57m; Guildford – Tom Norman FG 44m
Women
Bowdon Hightown 8 defeated Sutton Coldfield 1
Goals: Bowdon Hightown - Tina Cullen PC 15m FG 40m, Aimee Clark FG 17m FG 58m FG 70m, Nicky O’Donnell PC 24m PC 66m, Charlotte Hartley FG 28m; Sutton Coldfield - Leah Wilkinson FG 55m
Canterbury 2 drew Olton & West Warwicks 2
Goals: Canterbury - Sam Hughes FG 23m, Mel Clewlow PC 64m; Olton & West Warwicks - Mandy Gatherer FG 20m, Lucilla Wright PC 67m
Chelmsford 2 defeated Harleston Magpies 0
Goals: Chelmsford - Lynn Bollington FG 46m, Maria Merrigan PC 55m
Ipswich 2 defeated Clifton 0
Goals: Ipswich - Kirsten Spencer PC 7m, Cathy Gilliat-Smith FG 50m
Doncaster 4 defeated Trojans 0
Goals: Doncaster - Jo Ellis FG 3m FG 32m, Pippa Jones FG 56m, Katie Maltman FG 63m
Fyffes Leicester 4 defeated Slough 2
Goals: Fyffes Leicester - Rebecca Herbert FG 29m PC 43m, Crista Cullen PC 35m, Vanessa Hawkins PC 40m; Slough - Purdy Miller FG 42m, Chloe Strong PC 60m
Points Table
Men
Cannock 54 points
Reading 48
Loughborough Students 39
Guildford 37
Surbiton 31
Chelmsford 31
Old Loughtonians 29
Canterbury 26
Hampstead & W 25
Teddington 19
Firebrands 16
St Albans 0
Women
Fyffes Leicester 50 points
Ipswich 47
Chelmsford 46
Canterbury 43
Bowdon Hightown 38
Slough 36
Olton & West Warwicks 33
Clifton 20
Doncaster 19
Harleston Magpies 16
Trojans 12
Sutton Coldfield 1
