EH Champs Finals Insight: Saturday 3 July

The Girls U14 Plate will be contested between three teams, where triangular fixtures will be used to decide the victor. Beeston, who cruised to the final with four big victories will play on home soil in the first match of the day against Guildford. Having also impressed on their way to the final, Guildford will also be in action later in the day against East Grinstead, who progressed to the final with a thrilling 3-2 penalty shootout victory over Teddington after the teams couldn’t be separated in regular time.

How they got to the final:

Beeston: 10-0 v Matlock Baileans, 9-1 v Timperley, 9-1 v Chester, 8-1 v Leeds

Guildford: 5-0 v Winchester, 2-1 v Woking, 2-0 v Marlow, 5-2 v Taunton Vale

East Grinstead: 7-2 v Brighton & Hove, 4-2 v Ashford, 2-2 v Teddington (3-2 penalty shootout win)

Like the Girls U14 Plate, the Boys U14 Championships will see three teams battle to be crowned champions with three matches set to take place on Saturday 3 July. Harrogate and Surbiton have looked resolute defensively, both only conceding once whilst plundering goals in at the other end on their route to the final, and will meet in the opening match of the day. Trojans will also be a team to watch out for having put Winchester to the sword with an incredible 19-0 victory as the side steamrolled their way to the finals with four or more goals in all of their five matches.

How they got to the final:

Harrogate: 11-0 v York, 6-0 v Wakefield, 6-1 v Beeston

Surbiton: 5-0 v Teddington, 7-0 v Hampstead & Westminster, 14-0 v Spencer, 5-1 v Canterbury

Trojans: 19-0 v Winchester, 4-2 v Guildford, 6-0 v London Wayfarers, 6-3 v Wimbledon, 7-3 v Clifton Robinsons

Similarly to the previous two competitions, the Girls U14 Championships have a three-team final with Repton, Trojans and Knole Park all in action at Nottingham Hockey Centre. Since having to battle past Beeston in their first match, Repton have clinically progressed to the final with big wins over Belper and Bowdon before consecutive clean sheets punched their ticket to Nottingham Hockey Centre where they’ll face Trojans in the opening game. Trojans’ superb defence, which saw them keep clean sheets in four of their five matches, will be put to the test against a dangerous Knole Park side that scored 17 goals in their first two matches in what looks set to be an exciting encounter.

How they got to the final:

Repton: 3-2 v Beeston, 5-1 v Belper, 8-1 v Bowdon, 2-0 v Alderley Edge, 3-0 v City of York

Trojans: 11-0 v Winchester, 5-3 v Alton, 5-0 v Old Georgians, 3-0 v Reading, 3-0 v Clifton Robinsons

Knole Park: 9-2 v East Grinstead, 8-0 v Eastbourne, 4-2 v Sevenoaks, 4-2 v Surbiton, 2-1 v Cambridge City

Both Leeds and Reading have proved indominable on their route to Nottingham Hockey Centre in the Girls U16 Plate. Leeds showed their incredible attacking capabilities with eight goals in back-to-back games to progress, whilst Reading boast a remarkable defensive stat having failed to concede a single goal thus far.

How they got to the final:

Leeds: 8-0 v Wigton, 8-3 v Doncaster

Reading: 5-0 v Ashby, 3-0 v Lichfield, 8-0 v Rugby & East Warwickshire

Despite beginning their campaign with two emphatic victories, Thirsk had to battle their way through their next two matches with consecutive hard-fought 3-2 victories over Repton and Bournemouth. On the other hand, Knole Park were in imperious form as they crushed all the teams that stood in their way. Scoring more than five goals in all of their five matches including an unbelievable 22 goals against Holcombe and recording double digits in their two following matches, Knole Park are certainly ones to watch.

How they got to the final:

Thirsk: 4-0 v Wakefield, 9-0 v Alderley Edge, 3-2 v Repton, 3-2 v Bournemouth

Knole Park: 22-0 v Holcombe, 11-0 v Blackheath & Elthamians, 12-1 v Brighton & Hove, 8-1 v Guildford, 6-1 v Wimbledon

Brooklands MU stormed to the Boys U18 Championship final with a litany of solid performances, on all four occasions winning by three goals. Though the team have secured comprehensive victories, 11 of their 15 goals have come in the second-half with strong finishes to matches seeing them through. Canterbury have battled their way through several close encounters in order to progress to the final, three of their five wins only separated by one goal as the side demonstrated their resolve to come back from a 3-2 deficit to triumph over Surbiton.

How they got to the final:

Brooklands Manchester University: 4-1 v Ben Rhydding, 3-0 v Doncaster, 3-0 v Alderley Edge, 5-2 v Repton

Canterbury: 5-3 v Eastbourne, 4-3 v Sevenoaks, 5-2 v Spencer, 4-3 v Surbiton, 3-2 v Cambridge City

Cheltenham got off to a consistent start with consecutive 3-0 victories before a big win over Belper bagged their place at Nottingham Hockey Centre in the Boys U16 Plate. They’ll face a ruthless Canterbury side that have netted six or more goals in all of their matches to this stage in what looks set to be a gripping final.

How they got to the final:

Cheltenham: 3-0 v Bromsgrove, 3-0 v Oxford, 7-2 v Belper

Canterbury: 6-4 v Ipswich, 8-0 v Old Loughtonians, 7-2 v Marden Russets

The Girls U18 Championship final looks set to be a thriller as Bowdon and Harleston Magpies come into the fixture in tremendous form. Bowdon are yet to concede and have 11 goals to their name in what has been a superb competition for the side thus far. Meanwhile, Harleston Magpies got off to an explosive start with two high scoring matches, combined on both occasions with a clean sheet. The team advanced to the final with victory over a stubborn Southgate side, the team twice coming from behind to book their place at Nottingham Hockey Centre.

How they got to the final:

Bowdon: 3-0 v Neston, 3-0 v Alderley Edge, 5-0 v Matlock Baileans

Harleston Magpies: 5-0 v Bury St Edmunds, 9-0 v St Neots, 3-2 v Southgate

With two clean sheets and bags of goals in their opening two matches, Taunton Vale almost suffered a scare when they nearly surrendered a 3-0 half-time lead to Olton & West Warwickshire, the side ultimately grinding out a 4-3 victory to progress. Consistency was key for Trojans who advanced with a 4-1 victory in every round to ensure they would meet Taunton Vale in the final.

How they got to the final:

Taunton Vale: 8-0 v Westberries Ladies, 3-0 v Wycombe, 4-3 v Olton & West Warwickshire, 3-0 v Leeds

Trojans: 4-1 v Hampstead & Westminster, 4-1 v Knole Park, 4-1 v Bury St Edmunds

There will be a strong presence from Knole Park at Nottingham Hockey Centre on 3 July when they contest the Boys U14 Plate against City of York, having also qualified for both the Girls U14 and U16 Championship finals. Alongside two notable wins, City of York had to overcome a stern test in the form of Chester in which they battled back from being 2-1 down at the break to record an impressive 4-3 victory. Off the back of an 8-1 thrashing of Norwich City, Knole Park couldn’t find a way past Marlow in regular time and only secured their place in the final with a dramatic 3-2 penalty shootout victory.

How they got to the final:

City of York: 3-0 v Airedale, 4-3 v Chester, 4-1 v Belper

Knole Park: 2-0 v Sevenoaks, 4-2 v Surbiton, 8-1 v Norwich City, 1-1 v Marlow (3-2 penalty shootout victory)

Bowdon, who will also compete in the Girls U18 Championship final, looked clinical on their path to the Boys U16 Championship final with five impressive victories. The team travel to Nottingham Hockey Centre in sensational form having comprehensively stormed past Slazenger and Clifton Robinsons in their previous two matches. Winchester started their campaign with an incredible 14-0 victory over Fleet & Ewshot to show their quality from the outset, and having put another five past Sevenoaks to clinch a place in the final, their attacking prowess has been firmly on show.

How they got to the final:

Bowdon: 6-1 v Timperley, 4-1 v Chester, 2-0 v Neston, 6-0 v Slazenger, 7-3 v Clifton Robinsons

Winchester: 14-0 v Fleet & Ewshot, 5-3 v Guildford, 5-0 v Wimbledon, 3-2 v Surbiton, 5-1 v Sevenoaks

Stone and Woking go head-to-head in the final match of the day as they meet in the Boys U18 Plate. Stone blitzed their way past both Rotherham and Ben Rhydding, smashing in 13 goals and conceding just the once, before topping Old Silhillians in their final game as they efficiently clinched their place in the final. Woking booked their place in the final with a gripping 6-4 victory over Hampstead & Westminster after having to rely on a shootout victory over Bromley & Beckenham in order to progress in the previous round.

How they got to the final:

Stone: 4-1 v Ashby, 6-0 v Rotherham, 7-1 v Ben Rhydding, 4-1 v Old Silhillians 

Woking: 4-1 v Wycombe, 1-1 v Bromley & Beckenham (4-2 penalty shootout win), 6-4 v Hampstead & Westminster