England: Premier Division Review Week Seven

Old Georgians continued their 100% start to the season with their eighth win coming against East Grinstead. EG only trailed by a goal at half time but a second half blitz which saw Sam Ward’s goal haul for the game up to five meant OGs ran out 8-2 winners with an average of over seven goals a game this season.

Georgians had already secured a top six finish and Surbiton and Holcombe joined them after wins on Saturday. Surbiton were made to work hard for the points by Southgate and it took a 61st minute corner from Gareth Furlong to secure a 3-2 win to spare Struan Walker who had a penalty stroke saved by Southgate goalkeeper Calum Douglas ten minutes earlier. It was more comfortable for Holcombe with Teague Marcano netting a hat-trick in their 6-0 win over Richmond, Oli Payne’s clean sheet only the fifth in the Division this season.

Hampstead & Westminster and Wimbledon are also close to a top six finish each earning three points on Saturday. Hampstead beat Cardiff & Met 6-1 and Wimbledon won 3-2 in front of a big Firework Night crowd at Beeston. There were no rockets from Beeston’s Henry Croft who failed to score for the first time this season and Wimbledon snatched the points with a last gasp Sam Hooper stroke.

The losses for Cardiff and Beeston helped Oxted jump above them into sixth place. Guy Morgan scored twice in a 4-1 defeat of Bowdon who remain bottom without a point.

Thursday evening sees Surbiton play Wimbledon in the game moved from the EuroHockey League weekend.

The Review of the rest of the league will be out tomorrow. The Goals of the Week will be out on Wednesday and the EHL Premier Preview podcast, looking ahead to next Saturday’s games lands on Thursday evening. Also see our new league web pages here.

Top Scorers (2 Nov):

Sam Ward (Old Georgians) 17

Struan Walker (Surbiton) 12

Alan Forsyth (Old Georgians) 11

Teague Marcano (Holcombe) 10

Clean Sheets (5):

James Mazarelo (Surbiton) 1

Ore Ogunlana (Wimbledon) 1

Oliver Payne (Holcombe) 1

Mark Philpot (Cardiff & Met) 1

Toby Reynolds-Cotterill (Hampstead & Westminster) 1

Thursday 7 November

Surbiton v Wimbledon, 20:00

Saturday 9 November

Bowdon v Surbiton, 18:30

East Grinstead v Beeston, 18:00

Hampstead & Westminster v Old Georgians, 18:00

Holcombe v Oxted, 18:30

Southgate v Richmond, 18:00

Wimbledon v Cardiff & Met, 15:45

Top of the table, Reading, are the first team to secure a top six finish thanks to their 2-0 defeat of Bowdon. Annie Wilson and Emma McKenzie Findlay scored the goals that keep them unbeaten and one point clear.

Hampstead are second and also cemented a top six finish. They continued their good unbeaten run with their sixth win in the last seven games. This came courtesy of a 3-1 victory over Nottingham University with Madi Ratcliffe scoring twice. East Grinstead are a further two points back having dropped points in a 1-1 draw at Loughborough, a good result for the students. Kirsten Oudshoorn gave Loughborough an early lead and although Biba Mills equalised with twenty minutes to go EG couldn’t find a winner.

Fourth placed Surbiton won 3-1 at Holcombe and Wimbledon go into the top six thanks to a 2-0 win at Birmingham University.

The battle between Sutton Coldfield and Clifton Robinsons went the way of the Bristol side who ran out comfortable 4-0 winners and sees them jump two places to 9th with an outside chance of a top six finish.

Top Scorers

Maddie Axford (University of Nottingham) 8

Biba Mills (East Grinstead) 6

Darcy Bourne (Surbiton) 5

Lily Sokhi (University of Birmingham) 5

Lucy Hyams (Hampstead & Westminster) 5

Madi Ratcliffe (Hampstead & Westminster) 5

Mia Moore (Reading) 5

Olivia Shannon (East Grinstead & Holcombe) 5

Clean Sheets

Nicola Cochrane (Reading) 3

Miriam Pritchard (Hampstead & Westminster) 3