Moving to just a point off top

Team Bath Buccaneers moved just one point from the top of the Vitality Women’s Hockey League Conference West table thanks to a 5-1 win over already-relegated University of Bristol, with league leaders Witney held to a 3-3 draw by Basingstoke as the race for the title hots up down the final straight with just three fixtures to go.

In the Men’s League, Division One South Buccs were also victorious, beating Brighton & Hove 4-1 to move second following Canterbury’s and sit just two points off leaders Reading.

As the West Area leagues, Buccs 2nd played out a 3-3 draw at home to Swindon in the Premier Division. Five dropped points in their last two games means they have slipped six points behind leaders Cardiff & Met 2nd which is all but unassailable with just two games remaining.

In Division One north, Buccs 3rd enjoyed a 7-2 thrashing of Swansea 2nd to remain level on points with Clifton Robinsons at the top, a difference of five goals separating the sides with three games remaining. City of Bath were beaten 3-1 at Leominster.

The derby in Division Two East went to Buccs 5th as they cross-city rivals City of Bath second 4-1, leaving Bath with just one win from 19 and Buccs fifth. Second bottom Buccs 5th managed to stop their rot with a 2-0 win over Chippenham 2nd, just their third of the campaign.

Buccs 6th continued a good weekend for the club with a narrow 2-1 victory over Mendip 2nd in Concorde Division One. It doesn’t close the 15-point gap to second place Keynsham, though, who hit Old Bristolians 2nd for six to remain a point behind leaders Clifton Robinsons 4th, but they have played a game more. Keynsham 2nd were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Old Bristolians 4th in Concorde Division Two, ending their recent winning run.

The only dampener on the weekend for Buccs was seeing the seventh side beaten 7-3 at home to Chippenham 3rd in Saxon Division One for their first loss in four. Corsham held on to win a seven-goal thriller 4-3 against third-place Cirencester 2nd and remain two points off leaders Swindon 2nd with three to play.

Buccs 8th suffered their second successive loss in Saxon Division Two, 3-2, at Shepton Mallet 3rd who pull four points away from the seventh-place side with a game to go. Corsham 2nd’s recent unbeaten run came to an end at Royal Wootton Bassett 3rd in a nine-goal affair which moved Bassett out of reach of the fifth-place side.

In the women’s leagues, Buccs 2nd ran out 4-0 winners at home to Lydney in the Premier Division to secure the runners-up spot in the division with a game remaining. The third team matched that scoreline with victory at Royal Wootton Bassett in Division Two East to remain two points clear at the top with a game to play. Corsham narrowly beat bottom side Chippenham 2nd 1-0.

In Berkeley Division One, Keynsham held on to beat South Gloucestershire to almost claim the title. They sit three points ahead of University of Bristol 3rd, but are three goals less in their goal difference. Bristol play their final game on Saturday, with Keynsham knowing what they will need to do a week later at home to Wottonunder-edge 2nd.

The third team were beaten 3-0 at Westberries 5th in Berkeley Division Three, a fourth loss in five as they remain third from bottom.

One of the derbies in Whitehorse Division One saw City of Bath comfortably rout hosts Keynsham 2nd 7-1 to remain a point behind second place West Wilts. Keynsham stay second from bottom, while City of Bath 2nd have just two games remaining to get a win on the board after they were beaten 6-0 by Buccs 4th who stay two points behind the Bath first team. Corsham were beaten 4-1 at home to leaders North Wilts for a second successive loss.

Both Buccs 5th and 6th enjoyed 5-1 wins in Whitehorse Division Two. The fifth side romped past hosts Corsham 3rd to stay second, while the sixth side moved up to sixth with victory over Marlborough 2nd.