EHL Premier Division Preview | Week Eleven

Women's Premier Division

Surbiton are looking to head the Women’s Hockey League Premier Division at the end of the first stage and into the new year. They lead the table by a point and face the long trip to Durham University tomorrow, the first ever meeting of the teams. Durham are on the cusp of a top six finish after a three match winning streak which culminated in a crucial 5-0 at Loughborough Students last Saturday. This gave them a three point lead and a significantly better goal difference than nearest rivals Birmingham University and Loughborough. Birmingham host East Grinstead who will finish third barring some freak results. Loughborough travel to Bowdon who are just out of the running for a top six place but secured a win at Barnes last weekend.

Second placed Hampstead & Westminster could go top if they beat Reading and Surbiton slip up at Durham. Their last meeting was in the league finals where Reading won the semi-final after a shootout. Fourth placed Wimbledon travel to Nottingham University who are one place off the bottom after a run of five games without a win. The teams either side of Nottingham, Barnes and Clifton Robinsons meet at Dukes Meadow. It almost twenty seasons since the teams last met in a league game. Barnes have lost the Hounslow & Ealing suffix and Clifton have added Robinsons since then. After picking up no points in their first seven games Clifton are unbeaten in three, whilst Barnes have lost the last three and sit bottom but a win would put them above the visitors and potentially up to tenth.

 Open/Men's Premier Division

It’s the last round of matches in the first Stage of the Open/ Men’s Premier Division Surbiton are guaranteed to finish first going into the next stage and are looking for an 11^th successive win this season when they welcome Reading to Sugden Road. The visitors are eighth and have an outside chance of a top six finish if they could turn the formbook on its head and win. 

Wimbledon need a win to keep hold of second place. After a loss and a draw in the last two games they welcome Oxted who occupy the last top six place. The teams last met in last season’s 3-4 play-off with Wimbledon victorious after a shootout. A win would guarantee Oxted play in the top six in the new year but they may still do so if they lose. The teams who could overtake them all play higher-ranked opposition. East Grinstead in seventh are a point back but with a significantly poorer goal difference so would likely need a win at Holcombe. Cardiff & Met are a point below Reading and three points behind Oxted but face a home game with third placed Old Georgians who have won their last four games.

Hampstead & Westminster who are fourth and on a good run of form welcome Southgate who are tenth. The bottom two teams meet with Beeston travelling to Brooklands MU seeking their first points of the season whilst the home side have lost their last seven games.