Five-Star Old Georgians Win Crunch Clash While Wimbledon Move Second

Photo credit: Debbie Christopher (@debbiechris33)

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Old Georgians cemented their position at the top of the Men’s Premier Division with a 5-1 win at title rivals Surbiton on Saturday evening.

Visiting skipper Dan Shingles opened the scoring on seven minutes before strikes from Henry Weir and James Tindall put the leaders firmly in control at the break.

Gareth Furlong converted from a penalty corner to give the hosts hope of a fightback but Tom Carson’s double sealed the outcome and kept his side five points clear at the top.

Wimbledon are now Old Georgians’ nearest challengers after climbing to second courtesy of a 2-1 win at home to East Grinstead.

Ben Mackey put the visitors in front but their advantage lasted just seven minutes before Ronan Harvey-Kelly levelled matters.

A tight game was ultimately settled by Evan Kimber’s strike seven minutes from time as Wimbledon got back to winning ways.

Hampstead & Westminster were awarded a win after Holcombe conceded the scheduled fixture between the two citing goalkeeper unavailability.

In the ‘Bottom 5’, Beeston put valuable breathing space between themselves and the bottom two by defeating University of Durham 3-2.

Stuart Kentwell’s 37th-minute opener put the hosts in front before a crazy spell of three goals in five minutes left the score locked at 2-2, Henry Croft netting for Beeston either side of Jakob Schmidt and Max Garner’s goals for the visitors.

Sam Apoola’s strike six minutes from time turned out to be the winner, with Beeston now five points clear of the relegation places. Durham remain level on points with second-bottom Brooklands MU having now played a game more than their fellow strugglers.

Bottom side University of Exeter came out on the wrong side of a seven-goal thriller against Oxted. The hosts led 2-1 after goals from Patrick Hunter and Ben Fox cancelled out Josh Birtles’ opener but strikes from Chris Porter, Lewis Fraser and Nick Giles put Oxted in the driving seat.

Rhys Bradshaw pulled one back late on but the University side could not make late pressure count and still have just a solitary point next to their name.

Division 1 North

Leaders Loughborough University survived a scare at University of Birmingham, falling 2-0 behind inside 16 minutes before coming back to win 4-2. University of Nottingham remain just a point adrift thanks to their 5-1 win at City of Peterborough, who remain in the relegation spots. The fight for the title now looks a two-horse race after third-placed Cardiff & Met slipped up at Cambridge City, going down 3-2. Edwin Waters bagged a hat-trick as Olton & West Warwickshire won 3-0 at Bowdon while the crunch game at the bottom between Sheffield Hallam and Deeside Ramblers was postponed.

Division 1 South

The race for promotion is well and truly on after leaders Reading lost for the second weekend in succession, this time 4-2 at home to Team Bath Buccs – for whom Adam Dixon netted a hat-trick. Bath sit third, five points behind the leaders, while Canterbury are now just three points off top spot following their 2-0 win at Oxford Hawks. Brighton & Hove came from 3-1 down to salvage a draw at home to Sevenoaks and move to within a point of safety following Southgate’s 2-1 defeat at Old Cranleighan. Havant’s clash with Teddington was postponed.

Conference East

Old Loughtonians remain three points clear at the top following a 2-0 victory over Bromley & Beckenham. Spencer edged an entertaining contest against Wapping 3-2 to move out on their own in second, with London Wayfarers now third after winning 2-1 at London Edwardians. At the bottom, Seb Buddle’s hat-trick inspired Hampstead & Westminster 2s to a vital 4-3 win over Indian Gymkhana. The victors climb out of the relegation zone as a result, replaced in the bottom two by Gymkhana. Richmond overcame bottom side West Herts 6-3.

Conference Midlands

Following a 7-5 win last weekend, Harborne were involved in another goalfest but were unable to claim all three points on this occasion after drawing 4-4 with Cambridge University on Saturday. That result left the door ajar for Barford Tigers to move level on points at the summit the following day and they took their opportunity with a 6-2 win at Bedford. University of Birmingham 2s beat Khalsa Leamington 4-2 in the battle of the bottom two but they remain a point adrift of safety following Cambridge’s draw at the leaders. Harleston Magpies won 3-1 at Lichfield while Loughborough Town’s clash with St Albans was postponed.

Conference North

The match between second and third went the way of Timperley, who won 3-0 at Didsbury Northern. They remain four points behind Belper following the leaders’ convincing 7-0 victory at home to bottom side Beeston 2s. Wakefield picked up an impressive point from a 2-2 draw at Doncaster but remain in the second relegation spot just a point behind Alderley Edge, who drew 1-1 at Preston. Leeds leapfrogged University of Durham thanks to a 3-1 win over their hosts.

Conference West

University of Bristol are the new leaders following a 5-0 win over Cheltenham which was coupled with Fareham’s 5-2 home defeat against Isca, who now sit second after continuing their victorious start to 2022. University of Exeter 2s claimed their first victory of the season at the 12th attempt, moving off the bottom in the process after beating Cardiff University 2-1. The Devon outfit are now five points adrift of both their Welsh counterparts and Clifton Robinsons, who went down 4-2 at Chichester. Ashmoor fought back from 2-0 down to share the spoils with Plymouth Marjon.