DURHAM University and Whitley Bay and Tynemouth suffered disappointment in the weekend’s National Women’s Hockey League play-offs.
The students were playing for promotion to the Premier Division, Bay to stay in Conference North. Both North East sides had their fate decided in the final game of their round-robin groups and both failed to achieve their goals.
Durham gleaned just one point from their three Bank Holiday games, in their opening encounter against Ipswich. The East Anglians led twice, only to be pegged back both times from short corners. Ruth Gordon and Loren Sherer were Durham’s goalscorers.
Sherer found the net in all three games – each time from penalty corners – but her goals on Sunday and Monday were mere consolations. She pulled the game against Birmingham University back to 2-1, only for the Midlands side to score a third. Knowing they needed to beat Reading to win promotion the following day, the sequence of goals was repeated.
Bay’s demotion from the division was more painful. They travelled to Sevenoaks, knowing a draw would avoid a swift return to the Northern League and were on course to get it until Rebecca Goulstone converted a short corner two minutes from time. The scores had been level since the 15th minute when Bay’s prolific forward Kath Smith cancelled out Jacqui Ward’s strike.
Birmingham and Reading won promotion to the Premier Division, while Sevenoaks escaped relegation from Conference East.
Women’s National League Relegation Tournament: Sevenoaks 2, Whitley Bay & Tynemouth 1.
Promotion Tournament: Durham University 2, Ipswich 2; Birmingham University 3, Durham University 1; Reading 3, Durham University 1.
