Cannock narrowed the gap on leaders Reading in the Slazenger England Hockey League Men’s Premier Division by beating them 2-0 on Saturday, a win that saw Cannock close to just six points behind in third place.
Stuart Pilgrim opened the scoring when a Simon Ramsden penalty corner was saved and Pilgrim beat the defence to the rebound. He fired into the roof of the net.
Cannock made sure of all three points when Ramsden was on target from a set piece with just three minutes remaining.
They are now eight points clear of fourth place in the race to qualify for next season’s European Hockey League.
Cannock Ladies side, who play in the Slazenger Women’s National League Division North, strengthened their grip on the title with an emphatic 6-0 victory over relegation-threatened Sheffield Hallam at the weekend.
A hat-trick from Lucy Spencer
Lichfield’s poor post-Christmas form in the BodyKraft Midland Regional Hockey League Premier Division continued at the weekend when they were beaten by bottom side Bridgnorth.
The 2-1 loss saw Lichfield slip to third from bottom and into a relegation battle, after what was their eighth consecutive game without a win.
Also involved in a relegation dogfight are Walsall in Midlands One, but a 4-4 draw at home to Derwent at least ensured they climbed off the bottom of the table.
The West Midlands Premier promotion issue looks like going down to the wire, with Stone and Wolverhampton heading the table by four points after both teams recorded victories at the weekend.
Wolverhampton edged past bottom side Leamington 1-0, while Stone dented Finchfield’s promotion hopes with a 3-2 success over their hosts.
The championship looks like it will be decided on the final day when the top two sides play each other at Stone on March 15.
Elsewhere in the division, Old Wulfrunians were 6-4 victors at home to Kidderminster thanks to a great display by Tom Pickersgill, who scored five of their goals. As a result, the two teams swapped places in seventh and eighth respectively.
Old Halesonians kept up their good form in West Midlands One when they edged out Droitwich 5-4. They are now in pole position to claim the second promotion spot, needing one more victory from their three remaining
It wasn’t easy – Old Hales had to come from 2-0 and 3-1 behind to earn the win, which was achieved thanks to a first-half strike from Doug Houghton and second-half efforts from Andy Cole, Paul Woodall, Chris Wattley and Tom Bulteel.
Either one or two sides will be relegated from West Midlands One this year, depending on complex rules relating to how many Midlands sides are demoted from the EHL, but Rugeley are looking odds-on to take one of the places despite recording their first win of the season.
A 3-2 home success over Old Silhillians narrowed the gap on Pershore, who are immediately above them, to seven points, but Rugeley face leaders Kings Heath Pickwick on the final day of the season.
Kings Heath strengthened their grip by beating Bloxwich 6-1, while West Brom and Evesham drew 2-2, a result that ended West Brom’s slim promotion hopes.
In West Midlands Two, Kingswinford’s point deduction looks like it could cost them promotion, although they narrowed the gap on the leaders thanks to a Chris Brown hat-trick in a 4-1 win over second-placed Market Drayton.
They next face leaders Atherstone Adders in a must-win game if they are to overhaul Market Drayton and take the second promotion spot.
Stafford’s 7-0 home success over Yardley ended any lingering relegation concerns for them. However, the same cannot be said of Aldridge and Chaddesley Corbett.
Aldridge were defeated 3-0 at home by Barlaston, a defeat that left them one place and one point above the relegation zone, while Chaddesley Corbett boosted their survival hopes with a 2-1 victory at Aston University.
Marcus Claytor and Tom Boden got the goals that saw them go to within two points of safety with three games remaining – the last of which is at home to second-bottom Yardley in what looks set to be a relegation showdown.
Bloxwich Ladies defeated Uttoxeter 2-0 in their Staffordshire Women’s Hockey League Division One fixture.
Nicola Lockley opened the scoring from a short corner and Victoria Harrison added the second, also from a short corner, in the second half.
Stourport Ladies won their Midland B Division match away at Shrewsbury 2-1 thanks to strikes from Fran Moss in the first half and a winner from Melissa Kennedy in the second period.
Results
BodyKraft Midland Hockey League
Midlands Premier: Bridgnorth 2, Lichfield 1; Chesterfield 3, Harborne 1; North Stafford 1, Mansfield 3; Nottingham 0, Coventry & North Warwick 2; Olton & West Warwick 2, Worcester 3; Sutton Coldfield 0, West Bridgford 3; West Bridgford 4 Bridgnorth 0.
Midlands 1: Burton 1, Hampton-in-Arden 2; Khalsa 4, Warwick 2; Nottingham University 0, Edgbaston 4; Rugby & East Warwick 2, Northampton Saints 2;
Solihull Blossomfield 5, Shrewsbury 3; Walsall 4, Derwent 4; Derwent 1 Burton 4.
West Midlands Premier: Finchfield 2, Stone 3;
Leamington 0, Wolverhampton 1; Old Wulfrunians 6, Kidderminster 4; Warwick University 2, Redditch 2; Whitchurch 3, Stratford 6; Wednesbury 2 Whitchurch 1.
West Midlands 1: Bloxwich 1, Kings Heath Pickwick 6; Droitwich 4, Old Halesonians 5; Evesham 2,
West Bromwich 2; Newtown 2, Ludlow 4; Pershore 1, Bromsgrove 5; Rugeley 3, Old Silhillians 2.
West Midlands 2: Aldridge 0, Barlaston 3; Aston
University 1, Chaddesley Corbett 2; Kingswinford 4, Market Drayton 1; Kynoch 0, Atherstone Adders 3; Oswestry 0, Streetly 5; Stafford 7, Yardley 0.
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