- England Hockey Leagues
Preview: Surbiton One Win From Title; Swansea Still Hoping For Survival
Rod Gilmour from The Hockey Paper gives you a run down of what to look out for in this weekend's matches in the Vitality Women's Hockey Leagues. In the top flight, Surbiton are on the brink of another title, while Swansea are looking to retain their status after a huge win last weekend.
And with thanks to Galvanised Hockey we've also got the best video highlights from last weekend's fixtures below.
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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.
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Surbiton can lay claim to an eighth successive Vitality Women's Premier Division title with victory over Hampstead & Westminster this weekend.
Surbiton women are seven points ahead of East Grinstead in the Top 6 standings, with three games remaining in the domestic season.
Their place at the top of the division follows a blistering run of form - 20 goals in their last four games - with 11 wins from their last 12 fixtures for good measure.
“I think what has been most pleasing is how we have improved throughout the season and really grown as a team,” said Surbiton’s Georgie Twigg. “The first half of the season was tough, having lost some key players but also having gained quite a few new faces. I think it just took a little while to find our stride.
“We’re really excited about the Euro Hockey League and we know how tough it will be but playing our last three matches against Hampstead, East Grinstead and Wimbledon will be fantastic preparation for us.”
The three teams battling for the second Euro Hockey League berth have all faltered this month in their quest to reach the continental club showpiece.
East Grinstead travel to Clifton Robinsons, who have now gone 10 games without victory in the top flight.
The West Sussex side head to Bristol on the back of two big home wins over the Robbies already this season, 6-1 and 6-0.
Wimbledon are now a point behind East Grinstead in third, following the latter's defeat to Beeston last weekend.
It is now the turn of the Londoners to play Beeston on Saturday. Wimbledon have accrued 10 goals in their two matches this season, with the Bees yet to score against this weekend's opponents.
At the top of the scoring charts, Surbiton's Darcy Bourne and East Grinstead's Sophie Bray are both level on 17 goals for the season.
Sat 26 Mar
2pm Beeston v Wimbledon
2pm Clifton Robinsons v East Grinstead
5pm Surbiton v Hampstead & Westminster -
Swansea need to reverse their 1-0 away defeat against University of Birmingham last Sunday against the same opposition to stay in with a chance of Premier Division survival.
Swansea are eight points adrift of both Loughborough Students and Holcombe with three fixtures left before the season closes. With an inferior goal difference, the Welsh side are on the verge of the drop to Division 1.
There was hope for Swansea last Saturday when they won their first ever Premier Division match - a 2-1 away win at Loughborough, who have now lost their last three.
Holcombe and Loughborough face off this weekend, and a win for either side would secure their own status, regardless of Swansea’s result.
With the change in structure for 2022/23, Buckingham are out of the relegation battle as only one team is going down to Division 1.
Sat 26 Mar
12pm Swansea v University of Birmingham
2pm Holcombe v Loughborough Students -
Match of the season in Division 1 North takes place on Saturday when University of Nottingham meet Bowdon in a top-of-the-table clash.
Leaders Nottingham, who have won 11 in a row, are currently in the hot seat by one point over their season-long rivals, Bowdon, whose winning stretched to nine matches last weekend.
Nottingham will host Bowdon following the success of their BUCS Big Wednesday title this week (a Maddie Axford goal enough to beat University of Birmingham 1-0). Should Bowdon prevail against the unbeaten Nottingham, the title will be decided on the final Saturday next weekend.
At the other end of the table, Gloucester City have ensured their place in Division 1 next season, while Olton & West Warwickshire and Belper have run out of games to make up the nine-point gap, with two fixtures remaining. The new 2022/23 structure does not help them as neither can match the record of whoever finishes ninth in Division One South.
Sat 26 Mar
12pm Durham University v Stourport
12pm University of Nottingham v Bowdon
1pm Gloucester City v Brooklands Poynton
2pm Belper v Ben Rhydding
3:30pm Leicester City v Olton & West Warwickshire -
Reading will ensure a return to Premier Division hockey for the first time since 2017 with a favourable result against Surbiton 2 on Saturday.
Reading have won eight of their last nine matches, bookended by their 0-0 draw last weekend against Slough, and their last defeat in the league against the same opposition back in November.
The Berkshire side hold a six-point advantage over Sevenoaks, who must win their final two games by a heavy margin to have any chance of promotion.
With the new 2022/23 structure, only the bottom-placed team in this season’s Div 1 South will be relegated, given that the bottom two in Div 1 North cannot match their records at the end of the campaign.
There are still four teams in the mix to avoid finishing bottom, with Trojans currently at the foot of the table. Their crucial victory last weekend has set up a nerve-jangling final batch of fixtures.
Wimbledon 2, in seventh, are a little safer under the new structure, and a win from either of their last two games sees them safe. If they, Cambridge City and Harleston Magpies all win, Trojans need to win to avoid relegation this weekend.
Sat 26 Mar
12:30pm Slough v Harleston Magpies
1:30pm Surbiton 2 v Reading
2pm Canterbury v Cambridge City
2pm Wimbledon 2 v Trojans
3pm Sevenoaks v Isca & University of Exeter -
Barnes need two points from their remaining two matches to usher in Division 1 hockey next season.
They head into their match with basement side Canterbury 2 with a 13-match unbeaten run under their belts. Conversely, already-relegated Canterbury have lost their last 11 fixtures.
Barnes' nearest challengers, Southgate, face an away trip to Chelmsford.
Bromley & Beckenham are languishing in second bottom. four points off Horsham. Three out of the four teams who finish ninth in the Conferences will be relegated as a result of the new 2022/23 structure changes, so Bromley need to pick up points against Hampstead & Westminster 2.
Sat 26 Mar
12pm Barnes v Canterbury 2
1;30pm Horsham v Ipswich
2pm Hampstead & Westminster 2 v Bromley & Beckenham
4pm Chelmsford v Southgate
6pm East London v London Wayfarers -
Focus in the Conference Midlands shifts from top to the bottom of the table after Sutton Coldfield secured the title last weekend.
Khalsa Leamington, who sit second bottom, host the newly-crowned champions this weekend. Khalsa will hope home form prevails after winning their last two matches on home turf.
In all, they have won three from their last five and have proved to be the form team of the bottom three clubs.
Basement club Broxbourne, who travel to fourth-placed Loughborough Students 2, sit one point adrift of Khalsa.
Cannock need a point to mathematically ensure Conference survival.
Sat 26 Mar
12pm Beeston 2 v Oxford University
12pm Khalsa Leamington v Sutton Coldfield
1pm St Albans v University of Birmingham 2
1:30pm Bedford v Cannock
1:30pm Broxbourne v Loughborough Students 2 -
Leeds are champions but could still play a part in the relegation battle which is set to go to the wire.
Four clubs are nestled within one point of each other at the bottom of Conference North.
Leeds, who won the title last weekend, travel to Pendle Forest, who lost 2-0 to the champions in November.
All eyes will be on the game between basement side Neston and Timperley, who sit in seventh. Timperley have slipped into trouble after losing their last seven matches.
Three of the teams finishing ninth across the four conferences will be relegated, and Alderley Edge are currently the best-placed of the sides, with 16 points thus far.
Sat 26 Mar
11:30am Pendle Forest v Leeds
1:30pm Fylde v Doncaster
1:30pm Neston v Timperley
2pm Alderley Edge v Durham University 2
3pm Wakefield v Didsbury Northern -
The three-way battle for top honours resumes in Conference West, with first taking on third.
Leaders Witney travel to Oxford Hawks, who are six points behind with two games left. A Hawks victory will not only shatter Witney's unbeaten record - they last lost on the opening day of the season - but also set up a thrilling conclusion to this year's league outcome.
Second-placed Team Bath Buccaneers sit three points off the pace. Buccaneers head to mid-table Penarth, who have won four of their last five.
Meanwhile, Clifton Robinsons 2’s recent good form can continue with victory over already-relegated University of Bristol, who did claim a welcome first win of the season last weekend.
Relegation-threatened Robbies are edging closer to Basingstoke and now lie three points off safety with both holding the same goal difference. ‘Stoke travel to fourth-placed Exe.
The new 2022/23 league structure means one of the teams finishing ninth in the four conferences will be reprieved, and Robbies are currently short of the record of the sides in the other three, so will want to climb to eighth to ensure survival.Sat 26 Mar
12pm Bristol Firebrands v Cheltenham
12pm Oxford Hawks v Witney
12:30pm Penarth v Team Bath Buccaneers
1pm Exe v Basingstoke
2pm Clifton Robinsons v University of Bristol