Surbiton aims to lead the Women’s Hockey League Premier Division at the end of the first phase and into the new year. They lead by one point and face the long trip to Durham University tomorrow, the first ever meeting between the teams. Durham are on the cusp of a top-six finish after a three-match winning streak, which culminated in a crucial 5-0 against Loughborough Students last Saturday. This gave them a three-point lead and a significantly better goal difference than their nearest rivals Birmingham University and Loughborough. Birmingham host East Grinstead who will finish third barring some bizarre results. Loughborough travel to Bowdon, who are just short of a top six finish but took a win at Barnes last weekend.
Second-placed Hampstead & Westminster could go top if they beat Reading and Surbiton make a mistake in Durham. Their last meeting was in the league final, where Reading won the semi-final after a shootout. Fourth-placed Wimbledon travels to Nottingham University, who are one place behind after a run of five matches without a win. The teams on either side of Nottingham, Barnes and Clifton Robinsons meet at Dukes Meadow. It has been almost twenty seasons since the teams last met in a league match. Barnes has lost the Hounslow & Ealing suffix and Clifton has since added Robinsons. After failing to score points in their first seven games, Clifton are unbeaten in three games, while Barnes have lost their last three and are bottom, but a win would put them above the visitors and possibly into tenth place.
Open/Eredivisie Men
It is the final round of matches in the first phase of the Open/Eredivisie Men. Surbiton are guaranteed to finish first as they enter the next phase and are looking for an 11e consecutive win this season as they welcomed Reading to Sugden Road. The visitors are eighth and have an outside chance of a top-six finish if they can turn the form on its head and win.
Wimbledon needs a win to retain second place. After a defeat and a draw in the last two games, they welcome Oxted who occupy the final top six spot. The teams last met in last season’s 3-4 play-off, with Wimbledon triumphing after a shootout. A win would guarantee Oxted playing in the top six in the new year, but that could still happen if he loses. The teams that were able to overtake them all play against a higher ranked opponent. Seventh-placed East Grinstead are a point behind but have a significantly worse goal difference and so would likely need a win over Holcombe. Cardiff & Met are one point below Reading and three points behind Oxted, but face a home game with third-placed Old Georgians who have won their last four games.
Hampstead & Westminster, who are fourth and in good form, welcome Southgate, who are tenth. The bottom two teams meet with Beeston traveling to Brooklands MU looking for their first points of the season, while the home side have lost their last seven games.
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