Preview: Glory Within Sight as Women's Promotion Races Heat Up

To see full fixtures, results and tables from across the country, click here.

Some statistics in the below previews were compiled using the help of Colin Pike/Hockey World News' media guide.

Wimbledon co-coach Alex Danson-Bennett is relishing another must-win battle in the Vitality Women’s Premier Division ahead of their derby trip to Hampstead & Westminster.

Wimbledon lost to their London rivals on the opening day of the season in September at home before a reversal of fortune with a 2-1 victory in the first game back after the Phase 2 Top 6 league restart last month.

Danson-Bennett said: “We had a really close game with them and both teams are evenly matched, with some fantastic players and great club players. I think it will really just come down to which team can execute in both circles.

“We pinpointed this game, as I’m sure Hampstead & Westminster have, as a must-win. It is a massive game and we will have the GB girls back, who have had recent training games against Ireland, and so they will hopefully be sharp for Saturday.”

Danson-Benett added that the close contest in the Top 6 split league has made for an exciting conclusion to the league.

The former England and GB great said: “Even now there are four teams who are playing for two European places and often at this stage of the season it’s a bit of a foregone conclusion. It means our last game of the season against Surbiton could also be a corker.”

Wimbledon's hopes of a first Championship title suffered a setback following a 2-1 defeat last weekend to East Grinstead. They now head to Paddington Rec on Saturday afternoon in what amounts to a crucial weekend for both teams.

Should the two London clubs draw, East Grinstead, in second place, will open up a key gap with matches fast running out, if they beat Beeston on Saturday.

East Grinstead have beaten the Bees twice by a 2-1 scoreline in Nottingham this season, the most recent of which arrived last month. 

Now the West Sussex side turn hosts as they bid to keep their unbeaten run at home against Beeston intact. East Grinstead's Sophie Bray has scored in each of their three previous matches.

Elsewhere, top plays bottom in the Top 6 when Surbiton host Clifton Robinsons.

The Robbies have picked up just one point from their last nine matches, a 3-3 draw away at Hampstead & Westminster.

Surbiton, meanwhile, continue to be the in-form team during this second half of the season. Six points clear of Hampstead & Westminster in third, Brett Garrard’s side will be on the cusp of securing another European berth for next season if they beat the Bristol side.

Sat 19 Mar
1:30pm Surbiton v Clifton Robinsons
2pm Hampstead & Westminster v Wimbledon
4pm East Grinstead v Beeston

Buckingham's run of three consecutive victories has arrived at just the right time as they made significant strides in the battle to avoid the drop to Division 1.

Buckingham are now two points better off than Holcombe and Loughborough Students, both level on 13 points, with the university side currently in the bottom two and 11 points ahead of Swansea.

Bottom side Swansea will be relegated if they fail to pick up the required points from their crucial double header weekend. They face two crunch games on the road, against Loughborough Students and University of Birmingham respectively, and must find form at the right time if they are to stage a miraculous late recovery.

Birmingham, though, will be a hard team to beat following their run of four wins and three draws in their last seven matches.

Sat 19 Mar
12pm Buckingham v Holcombe
2pm Loughborough Students v Swansea

Sun 20 Mar
12:30pm University of Birmingham v Swansea

Both title contenders warm up for their top-of-the-table clash next weekend hoping to avoid a promotion slip-up.

Leaders University of Nottingham are on a run of 10 successive wins following Nike Lorenz's double in a 3-1 win over Ben Rhydding. Second from bottom Olton & West Warwickshire face a team which has also accrued 47 goals in their last nine matches.

Bowdon, meanwhile, are aiming for an eighth win on the trot since they last lost (to season-long rivals Nottingham) and have a home encounter with Gloucester City.

With only three games left, Gloucester are on the verge of securing their Division 1 place next season. 

Olton & West Warwickshire and Belper both could see their fates sealed this weekend as they are nine points behind and also have inferior goal differences.

Sat 19 Mar
12pm Leicester City v Belper
12pm Olton & West Warwickshire v University of Nottingham
1:30pm Ben Rhydding v Durham University
1:30pm Bowdon v Gloucester City
6pm Stourport v Brooklands Poynton

Reading will be promoted back to the Vitality Women’s Premier Division if results go in their favour this weekend.

If the Blues beat third-placed Slough while second-placed Sevenoaks - who have lost their last two matches - fail to win at Harleston Magpies, Reading will return to the top flight for the first time since 2017.

Slough, though, have won three of their last four fixtures while Reading's only defeat this season came against their county rivals (0-1 in November).

At the bottom, Trojans are four points adrift of the Magpies, who both lost last weekend. Cambridge City moved out of the relegation zone following their huge win over Sevenoaks last time out, leaving Trojans in need of a swing in form to avoid relegation.

Sat 19 Mar
12pm Trojans v Canterbury
12:30pm Cambridge City v Isca & University of Exeter
12:30pm Slough v Reading
3pm Sevenoaks v Harleston Magpies
5:30pm Surbiton 2 v Wimbledon 2

Barnes will be assured of promotion to Division 1 if they can secure three points on Saturday against London Wayfarers. 

With a seven-point gap at the top, a second win of the season over London Wayfarers will confirm their promotion party on Saturday. After twelve matches unbeaten, Barnes have only lost once this season and the Conference East title would cap a memorable season.

All Southgate can do against Horsham is hope for their fourth win in five league matches and a Barnes reverse.

With Canterbury 2 already relegated, the survival battle now centres upon a host of clubs, including Bromley & Beckenham, Chelmsford, Horsham and Ipswich, who are all looking over their shoulders.

Sat 19 Mar
12pm Hampstead & Westminster 2 v East London
12:30pm London Wayfarers v Barnes
1pm Bromley & Beckenham v Ipswich
2pm Canterbury 2 v Chelmsford
4pm Southgate v Horsham

Sutton Coldfield will become champions if they can secure another three points and Bedford fail to win, with three match weekends remaining in the Conference Midlands.

Sutton Coldfield are still unbeaten this season, with Oxford University standing in their way this weekend.

The leaders hold a six-point lead over Bedford, who must win a fourth game in a row at Loughborough Students 2. If Bedford are defeated, Sutton Coldfield will need a point to be granted promotion to Division 1.

Khalsa Leamington's late blooming form saw them move off the bottom of the league last weekend. 

With nine points still available, there are four clubs within four points of each other at the bottom. In a key basement battle, Khalsa, with three wins in four, play Cannock, fourth from bottom.

Sat 19 Mar
12pm Sutton Coldfield v Oxford University
12:30pm Loughborough Students 2 v Bedford
12:30pm University of Birmingham 2 v Beeston 2
1pm St Albans v Broxbourne
1:30pm Cannock v Khalsa Leamington

Victory this weekend will see Leeds become champions of Conference North.

Should they secure three points, Leeds will be promoted to Division 1 North courtesy of their current seven-point lead.

Wakefield head the rivals' charge in second place and will hope results continue to fall their way until the last game of the season, with a trip to Leeds still on the cards.

The relegation battle continues to be a close-run affair. Five clubs are within three points of each other, with Alderley Edge propping up the league after three defeats in a row. Seventh-placed Timperley's Conference future remains uncertain after six successive defeats. Pendle Forest have given themselves hope with two wins in succession, while Neston have won three in the last five but travel to leaders Leeds on Saturday.

Sat 19 Mar
12pm Didsbury Northern v Alderley Edge
12pm Doncaster v Timperley
12pm Durham University 2 v Fylde
2pm Leeds v Neston
3:30pm Wakefield v Pendle Forest

The Conference West title remains firmly up for grabs, with three games left in the season.

Top side Witney's draw with Basingstoke last weekend cut their lead at the top to just one point over Team Bath Buccaneers. 

Unbeaten in the league since the last weekend of September, Witney still remain the team to beat and face a team in fourth-placed Exe who have lost their last two.

Basingstoke's two successive draws leaves them in pole position to avoid the drop. If Clifton Robinsons 2 lose or draw to Team Bath Buccaneers and Basingstoke beat Penarth, they will be relegated alongside their rivals University of Bristol.

Sat 19 Mar
12pm Team Bath Buccaneers v Clifton Robinsons 2
1:30pm Exe v Witney
2pm Basingstoke v Penarth
2pm Cheltenham v Oxford Hawks
2:30pm University of Bristol v Bristol Firebrands