Chelmsford flunk test by Students

It was a mixed weekend for Loughborough Students. Pride of place must go to their women, who overcame a first-minute goal to beat Chelmsford 3-2 on Saturday, thereby inflicting on the Essex club their first Premier Division defeat of the season.

It was a mixed weekend for Loughborough Students. Pride of place must go to their women, who overcame a first-minute goal to beat Chelmsford 3-2 on Saturday, thereby inflicting on the Essex club their first Premier Division defeat of the season.

At Trent Park the men went even better on the same afternoon to beat second-placed Southgate 4-1 in their Premier Division with goals from Sam Ornbo, Tim Benford, Andrew Langlands and Jerome Goudie. Yesterday, however, in the EHA Cup they were leading Cannock 3-1 at the interval only to concede two late goals and end up being beaten 5-4 on penalty strokes.

Bowden and Belper, both heading their regional leagues, accounted for National League First Division opponents in the Cup. Bowden, with Jeremy Plastow scoring twice, beat Barford Tigers 4-3 while Belper's James Stedman scored both his side's goals in a 2-1 victory against Stourport.

The former Teddington striker Andy Billson, now Northampton Saints' player-coach, scored twice as Saints beat another National League side Harleston Magpies 3-1, while Old Georgians thrashed East Grinstead 5-2.

The day's biggest Cup win was Beeston's 10-2 defeat of Solihull Blossomfield, in which James McBlane scored five. Surbiton's South African Greg Nicol got two in their 4-2 win at Guildford which keeps them top of the Premier Division and then four in yesterday's 5-1 Cup win against Bromley.