Preview: Old Georgians With Chance To Return To The Top Of Men’s Premier Division

Old Georgians will hope to return to the top of the Premier Division when they take on University of Exeter this weekend.

They sat top of the table after the first round of fixtures following a 4-0 win but had a bye last weekend. However, with the current top two Hampstead & Westminster and Surbiton both in EuroHockey League action this weekend, they could return to the summit of the table.

Several other clubs will also be hoping to take advantage of the absence of the top two, with both University of Durham and Oxted hoping to level with them on six points when they meet in the weekend’s first game.

Wimbledon and Holcombe will be hoping to achieve the same thing in their clash – both teams having recorded their first wins last weekend – while East Grinstead will hope to get off the mark as they host a Brooklands MU team who will look to build on their victory from a week ago.

The game between Surbiton and Hampstead & Westminster has been postponed until later in the season, while Beeston have received a bye.

• University of Durham v Oxted – 13:00
• East Grinstead v Brooklands MU – 14:00
• University of Exeter v Old Georgians – 14:30
• Wimbledon v Holcombe – 14:30

Loughborough Students began the 2021/22 season with a bang as they beat Bowdon 5-1 last weekend to make it six consecutive wins in the Division One North and will hope to continue that run going when they take on Sheffield Hallam on Saturday.

Cardiff & Met also continued an unbeaten run with victory last time out and will look to continue to their momentum against City of Peterborough. The University of Birmingham will also look to make it consecutive victories when they take on Bowdon, as will Cambridge City against Olton & West Warwicks.

Both University of Nottingham and Deeside Ramblers were also victorious on the opening day and will face each other in an exciting clash on Sunday.

• Loughborough Students v Sheffield Hallam – TBC (Sat 2 Oct)
• Olton & West Warwicks – Cambridge City – 13:30
• City of Peterborough v Cardiff & Met – 14:00
• University of Nottingham v Deeside Ramblers – 14:00
• University of Birmingham v Bowdon – 14:30

After scoring seven goals last weekend, Reading will be aiming to use that momentum to overcame a Teddington side they narrowly lost to last season. It should be a thrilling game between these two teams as they occupied the top two spaces in the table when last season’s league was curtailed.

Team Bath Buccs and Southgate renew acquaintances after they played out a 1-1 draw against each other last October, while Canterbury will be hoping to repeat their victory over Sevenoaks from last year.

Havant and Brighton & Hove will both be keen to make amends following defeats when they play, as will Canterbury when they host Oxford Hawks.

• Oxford Hawks v Old Cranleighans – 17:00 (Sat 2 Oct)
• Canterbury v Sevenoaks – 12:45
• Team Bath Buccs v Southgate – 13:00
• Havant v Brighton & Hove – 14:00
• Reading v Teddington – 14:30

Following their dramatic victory over Richmond last Sunday, Old Loughtonians will be severely tested once again this weekend when they face London Wayfarers, who enjoyed a 4-2 win over Indian Gymkhana in their opening game.

Richmond will aim to take the disappointment of that defeat to Old Loughts when they travel to Spencer in the opening game of the weekend, while both London Edwardians and Bromley & Beckenham will want to make it two wins from two when they clash on Saturday evening.

The other games will see four teams aiming to secure their first points of the season as Hampstead & Westminster 2s host West Herts while Wapping travel to Indian Gymkhana.

• Spencer v Richmond – 13:30 (Sat 2 Oct)
• Old Loughtonians v London Wayfarers – 16:30 (Sat 2 Oct)
• London Edwardians v Bromley & Beckenham – 17:15 (Sat 2 Oct)
• Indian Gymkhana v Wapping – 14:00
• Hampstead & Westminster 2s v West Herts – 14:30

Both Harborne and Barford Tigers found the net seven times in their opening games and will hope to score plenty more goals when they travel to Bedford and Loughborough Town respectively this weekend.

Harleston Magpies are another who will be hoping to make it six points from six when they visit Khalsa Leamington, with St Albans aiming to do the same away to University of Birmingham 2s.

The weekend’s other game sees Cambridge University host Lichfield as both sides look to pick up their first wins of the year.

• Cambridge University v Lichfield – 14:30 (Sat 2 Oct)
• Bedford v Harborne – 18:00 (Sat 2 Oct)
• Loughborough Town v Barford Tigers – 12:00
• University of Birmingham 2s v St Albans – 12:30
• Khalsa Leamington v Harleston Magpies – 13:30

Belper host University of Durham 2s in what looks set to be a thrilling encounter as both sides earned victories in their opening games of the season.

Doncaster begin their league campaign with a trip to Nottingham to face Beeston 2s, with Leeds also playing their first game away from home at Preston.

Timperley will look to continue their impressive start to the season against Wakefield, with Alderley Edge playing host to Didsbury Northern in the other game.

• Timperley v Wakefield – 18:30 (Sat 2 Oct)
• Belper v University of Durham 2s – 12:15
• Beeston 2s v Doncaster – 14:00
• Preston v Leeds – 14:00
• Alderley Edge v Didsbury Northern – 14:30

Plymouth Marjon and Cheltenham will both have a point to prove when they play each other this weekend as they aim to recover from opening day losses.

Meanwhile, Isca – who beat Plymouth 6-0 – will want to maintain their strong start to the season with another victory when they play Ashmoor.

The University of Bristol are another team aiming to make it six points from six when they play Fareham, while University of Exeter 2s and Chichester will both be searching for their first win in the opening game of the weekend.

• University of Exeter 2s v Chichester – 12:00
• Ashmoor v Isca – 13:00
• Plymouth Marjon v Cheltenham – 13:00
• University of Bristol v Fareham – 13:30
• Cardiff University v Clifton Robinsons – 14:00