Vitality Girls’s Hockey League Preview – 2 April 2022
Having missed a golden probability to clinch their eighth successive Vitality Girls’s Hockey League Premier Division title final weekend once they surrendered their unbeaten document in a 2-0 dwelling defeat to Hampstead & Westminster, Surbiton Girls want only a level from their remaining two matches, beginning with their second go to of the season to East Grinstead on Saturday afternoon.
Surbiton gained 2-1 in West Sussex in November after which handed East Grinstead their heaviest nationwide league defeat once they gained 6-0 at Sugden Street in February. East Grinstead’s hopes of lifting the title evaporated following successive defeats at Beeston (3-2) and Clifton Robinsons (3-1) during the last two weekends.
Hampstead & Westminster can mathematically catch Surbiton, however have to hope that Surbiton lose at East Grinstead and at dwelling to Wimbledon, whereas Hampstead have to beat Beeston and East Grinstead each at dwelling, turning spherical a minus 17 aim distinction between the title challengers on the similar time.
Beeston will journey to London with some confidence, having proven resilience after shedding 7-1 at dwelling to Surbiton by successful 3-2 at East Grinstead and beating Wimbledon 3-1 in Nottingham to assist eradicate each their opponents from the title race. Hampstead gained 4-2 in Nottingham in February, however needed to battle earlier than successful 1-0 at Paddington Recreation Floor in November.
Hampstead are on 37 factors, East Grinstead on 36 and Wimbledon on 35 as realistically they’re preventing to safe the second European qualification place. Wimbledon host Clifton Robinsons for the primary time this season, having gained 2-1 on each their journeys to Bristol in November and February.
Within the Backside 5, the one relegation difficulty was settled final weekend when Swansea’s second successive defeat to the College of Birmingham was sufficient to seal their destiny. Seventh positioned Birmingham and eighth positioned Buckingham have a sport in hand over their rivals and meet within the West Midlands for a midday showdown. The groups met in successive league video games straddling the winter break, with Birmingham successful each video games, 2-1 at dwelling in December after the fixture was postponed the week earlier than and at 3-1 at Stowe College within the first sport of Section Two. Buckingham are coming off their second bye week and can hope that they will proceed their 4 sport successful streak which noticed them raise themselves away from the unique relegation zone.
Swansea make their second journey of the season to Holcombe, the place they misplaced 4-1 of their last sport of Section One, however the Welsh membership began Section Two with a 1-1 dwelling draw towards the identical opponents to earn their second level of the season. Holcombe can transfer as much as eighth with a win if Buckingham undergo a 3rd defeat of the season to Birmingham. Loughborough College students, trailing Holcombe by three factors, have a bye week.
