The top two met the bottom two in Men’s Premier 1 and although the results were as expected the scorelines were a lot tighter than might have been envisaged.

Leaders Reading raced into a three goal lead at Teddington with goals in the first quarter of an hour from Jonty Clarke, Simon Mantell and Tom Bertram. However there were no more goals until the last quarter when Malaysian Chua Boon Huat and Andy Heslop scored for the home side to make the final score 2-3. Cannock won 6-2 at St Albans and this was only the second time that bottom of the table Saints have scored more than one goal in a game this season.

Third placed Loughborough were in European indoor action and fourth placed Guildford drew 2-2 with Surbiton. Surbiton were twice ahead through Matt Daly corners but Guildford came back with corners of their own, the second a clever move finished off by Danny Hall, to tie the game up with three minutes to go. Guildford are now four points clear of a group of three sides. Hampstead, Old Loughtonians and Chelmsford with Surbiton a further point back. Hampstead lost 5-1 at Old Loughtonians and Chelmsford enjoyed a good 4-1 win at Firebrands.

The big East Anglian derby at the top of Women’s Premier 1 saw Ipswich beat Chelmsford 2-1 to move above them into first place. In a tight game it was a 70th minute goal from former Chelmsford player Cathy Gilliat-Smith that settled matters.

Ipswich are now two points clear of Chelmsford who are in European indoor action this weekend. Fyffes Leicester are breathing down their necks and they easily defeated bottom of the table Sutton Coldfield 6-0 to leave Sutton almost doomed.

Canterbury gained an important win in the race for a play off spot as they beat Bowdon Hightown 2-0 whilst Slough lost ground as they were beaten 6-3 at home by improving Olton for whom Rachel Walker and new signing Denise Marston Smith both scored twice. There was significant action at the bottom of the table where the four teams from places 9-11 met each other.

These clubs are battling to avoid the second automatic relegation place and ideally the two play off places too and results meant that the fight is now tighter than ever. Doncaster, who overcame 8th placed Clifton 3-0, stay 11th a point behind Trojans, who beat Harleston Magpies 3-2 to join Magpies on 11 points.

Women’s Premier 1 Results
Canterbury 2 defeated Bowdon Hightown 0
Goals: Canterbury - Mel Clewlow PS 51m, Sarah Sutton FG 64m

Doncaster 3 defeated Clifton 0
Goals: Doncaster - Pippa Jones FG 35m, Ali Bicker FG 42m, Charlotte Tomlin FG 58m

Ipswich 2 defeated Chelmsford 1
Goals: Ipswich - Vanessa Roberts FG 3m, Cath Gilliat-Smith FG 70m, Chelmsford - Lisa Wooding PC 24m

Olton & West Warwicks 6 defeated Slough 2
Goals: Olton & West Warwicks - Rachel Walker PC 1m PS 62m, Denise Marston-Smith FG 33m FG 58m, Lucilla Wright PC 40m, Jenny Ladley PC 57m; Slough - Purdy Miller FG 3m, Fiona Greenham PC 11m, Jane Smith PC 63m

Fyffes Leicester 6 defeated Sutton Coldfield 0
Goals: Fyffes Leicester - Hannah Macleod FG 6m, Crista Cullen PC 23m, Anne Panter FG 27m, Rebecca Herbert PC 37m, Vanessa Hawkins FG 64m, Kate Sharland FG 69m

Trojans 3 defeated Harleston Magpies 2
Goals: Trojans - Nyssa McNeill PC 9m, Laura Hudson PC 30m, Kathryn James FG 43m; Harleston Magpies - Emma Lee-Smith PC 16m PC 58m

Men’s Premier 1 Results
Chelmsford 4 defeated Firebrands 2
Goals: Chelmsford - Craig Fulton PS 7m, Jon Wilcox FG 9m, David De Prez FG 59m, Thornton McDade FG 66m; Firebrands - Simon Lanyon PC 45m

Guildford 2 drew Surbiton 2
Goals: Guildford - Ian Jennings PC 13m, Danny Hall PC 67m; Surbiton - Mat Daly PC 8m PC 59m

Old Loughtonians 5 defeated Hampstead & Westminster 1
Goals: Old Loughtonians - Warren D’Souza FG 10m FG 70m, Thomas Parry FG 25m, Mike Cullen PC 57m, James Stedman FG 65m; Hampstead & Westminster - John Bell FG 38m

Cannock 6 defeated St Albans 2
Goals: Cannock - Andrew Langlands FG 8m, Simon Ramsden PC 13m, Richard Lane FG 14m, Robbie Smith FG 18m FG 27m, Andy West PC 47m; St Albans - Stuart Hardy PS 38m PS 54m

Reading 3 defeated Teddington 2
Goals: Reading - Jonty Clarke FG 2m, Simon Mantell FG 6m, Tom Bertram PC 14m; Teddington - Chua Boon Huat FG 55m, Andrew Heslop PC 59m