Four defeats during second weekend spells relegation

Hockey

Canterbury Ladies have been relegated from the Jaffa Super Sixes Championship Women’s Premier Division.

The city club’s indoor squad finished bottom of the table after winning just one of their eight matches over the two weekends at Telford.

The squad had their work cut out after losing three of their four games on the opening weekend and they were unable to improve on that record during week two in Shropshire.

They started Saturday by losing 6-2 to Bowdon Hightown with Harriet Williams and Sian Emslie the city club’s scorers.

Goals from Williams and Paris Gaisson took them into half-time all square against Buckingham, but despite adding a third goal through Ailsa Naylor, they were beaten 5-3.

Canterbury trailed 1-0 at halftime against Clifton but hopes were raised by Emslie’s equaliser, only for their opponents to score three without a reply in the final eight minutes to clinch a 4-1 win.

Canterbury’s fate was sealed by a 4-0 defeat to Leicester, the result leaving them level on points with Beeston – the only team they beat – but worse off on goal difference.

Canterbury’s men finished sixth in the Premier Division, but were just two points behind East Grinstead who took the fourth and final qualifying place.

Canterbury had ended the opening weekend in fourth, and they made a good start to week two, beating Brooklands MU 7-4.

Sam Barrett and Tom Bean both claimed hat- trick s with Craig Boyne the other marksman.

Canterbury’s second match on Saturday pitted them against leaders Hampstead & Westminster who were to finish the competition with a 100% record.

Only two goals separated the teams at half-time but in the second period Hampstead ran riot to complete a 10-1 win.

Sam Ward scored six of the goals, with the others coming from Anton Pohling (2), Richard Smith and Kyle White. Barrett scored Canterbury’s consolation.

Both Canterbury’s games on Sunday finished in draws with the opener against Surbiton a real fluctuating contest.

Canterbury led twice in the first half only to trail 3-2 at the break.

They then moved 4-3 in front before a flurry of three goals in as many minutes – two of them to Surbiton and the final one to Canterbury’s Bean on 38 minutes – saw the game tied up at 5-5.

Barrett claimed another treble to finish the tournament with 14 goals.

Harrison Smith was the city club’s other scorer.

Canterbury led 4-2 at half-time against Team Bath Buccaneers, but failed to add to their tally allowing their opponents to snatch a point with two goals around the half-hour mark.

Bean scored two with Boyne and Smith completing their tally.

Canterbury finished on 11 points after three wins, two draws and three defeats.