Men's England Hockey League Week 2 2022 Preview

With league leaders, Old Georgians and Wimbledon,  playing in the Euro Hockey League this weekend, joint second-placed Reading will be looking to take full advantage. Heading to the Nottingham Hockey Centre to face Beeston, having lost their previous five matches, Reading will be hopeful of a perfect start to their Premier Division campaign.

Oxted, who inflicted further misery on Beeston last week with a 2-1 victory at home, travel to the University of Exeter looking to extend their run of consecutive wins on the road (4). Last weekend, the University of Exeter suffered their first loss in seven when they went down 3-2 to East Grinstead.

Travelling to Elmbridge on Saturday, East Grinstead will need to be at their best to stop a Surbiton side with one loss in their last nine.

Holcombe, who drew with Surbiton last time out, welcomes Hampstead & Westminster to Holcombe Park. Holcombe first hosted Hampstead & Westminster in 2015-16, with the teams drawing 1-1. Since then, Holcombe have won four of the last six, although Hampstead's two victories were by large margins, both in 2019. Hampstead were scheduled to meet Holcombe twice at Paddington Recreation Ground in 2021-22, but after drawing 2-2 in Phase One, Hampstead received a 5-0 walkover when the Top Six rematch was cancelled in February 2022 due to goalkeeping issues. Tim Guise-Brown and Matt Guise-Brown were both on target in the 4-3 thriller in March.

In the Match of the Day, Brooklands Manchester University Host the University of Nottingham, desperate to end their poor form at home, with just one win in their last eight.

Kwan Browne had the start to the campaign that he had dreamed of, as his new Southgate side laid down a marker in the league last weekend with a crushing 7-1 victory away in Brighton, showing their true intentions of mounting a serious promotion push. Teddington, 2-1 victors over Canterbury last weekend, are the visitors to the Southgate Hockey Centre looking to overturn the two defeats suffered last season against their hosts.

Brighton & Hove will be looking to bounce back from an opening day they would like to forget as they welcome the University of Bristol, who narrowly lost 2-1 at home to Oxford Hawks last week.

With the Oxford Hawks travelling to Canterbury, the home side will be confident in picking up their first points of the season, having beaten their opponents twice last season.

Old Loughtonians, 4-1 victors in Bath last week, welcome Old Cranleighan to Chigwell for their first home match in Division 1 after winning the Conference East last season. Whilst Team Bath Buccaneers have a long trip to the home counties to face an in-form Sevenoaks side having won their previous four games.

Early leaders Loughborough Students head to the Welsh Institute for Sports to take on Cardiff and Met, keen to capitalise on the host's opening day loss to Durham University.

Olton & West Warwickshire are the next opponents for Durham University as they travel to Solihull. With a 2-1 victory against Cambridge City, Olton returns home seeking their third consecutive home win.

After a thrilling 5-4 victory on the opening day against the Deeside Ramblers, the Barford Tigers will be full of confidence when Cambridge City head to Birmingham looking to end a miserable run of five consecutive away losses.

Without an away win last season, the Deeside Ramblers travel to the University of Birmingham, who will be looking to return to winning ways after a 4-2 defeat to Bowdon last week.

Bowdon faces a Belper side on the wrong end of a 7-0 scoreline at Loughborough.

The University of Nottingham 2's had a more than impressive start to their National League campaign. Beating Harleston Magpies 7-2 last week, the host line up at the Nottingham Hockey Centre against University of Birmingham 2's, with just one defeat in their last eight.

Bouncing back from defeat in Nottingham, Harleston Magpies travel to St Albans, who are without a win in their last seven, eager to kickstart their campaign.

The King Edward VI Boys School has become something of a fortress for Harborne as they continue their impressive unbeaten run at home dating back to 18th October 2020, when they last lost 9-5 in a 14-goal thriller with Fareham. Visitors Bedford will be well aware of the magnitude of task ahead after a 7-5 defeat in the corresponding fixture last season.

After a 4-4 draw with Bedford last week, Norwich travel to Leicestershire to take on Loughborough Town, with both sides looking for their first win.

Loughborough lost 5-0 at the City of Peterborough, who will be full of confidence as they travel to Lichfield with just one win in eight

With an impressive start to the campaign, Leeds are once again at their Weetwood home, awaiting the arrival of Doncaster. With just one defeat in the previous six away games Doncaster will be confident of extending their run.

Brooklands Manchester University 2's on the wrong end of a 6-2 scoreline versus Leeds,  will strive to put things right as they welcome Ben Rhydding to the Brooklands Cricket & Tennis Club, as they compete in their first Conference North season for over ten years.

Wakefield, Ben Rhydding's previous opponent, travel to the Preston Sports Club eager to take full advantage of the home side's dent in confidence after a 5-1 defeat at home to Timperley last week.

With one loss in eight, Timperley welcomes a Beeston 2's side to Trafford looking for their third consecutive away win.

With both sides losing on the opening day, Sheffield Hallam travels to the Armitage looking to inflict more home pain on their host, Didsbury Northern, extending their run of consecutive home defeats to five.

Surbiton 2's, who started the season in fine form, in their first ever National League game beating Oxford University 5-1, travel to the Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre to take on, former Holcombe Head Coach, Julian Halls and his Wapping side on Saturday evening with both teams yet to drop points.

Saturday lunchtime sees Oxford University travel to London once again as they meet Richmond at the Quintin Hogg Memorial Ground.

With a 2-0 victory over Richmond last week, Guildford travel to Spencer, where one team will drop points for the first time this season.

Indian Gymkhana head back to the Gymkhana Club after their defeat at Spencer to face Bromley & Beckenham, who drew on the opening day with London Wayfarers. Hampstead & Westminster 2's are the visitors to the Kings House Sports Ground, in the other Saturday fixture, where they lost 3-0 on the final day of last season against the Wayfarers.

After a ten-goal spectacle away at Plymouth Marjon on the opening day, Fareham return home to face University of Exeter 2's in the only Saturday match in the division. Plymouth Marjon travels to the Welsh Institute of Sport to take on Cardiff & Met 2's, who went down 3-1 at Havant last weekend.

Havant welcome their second visitors from South Wales in as many weeks, as Cardiff University head to Hampshire after losing 2-0 to Clifton Robinsons on the opening day. Ashmoor is the next opponent for Clifton Robinsons, as they make the journey up the M5 motorway, whilst Chichester head in the opposite direction to meet Isca at Exeter University.