​Chichester scored three times in the opening 23 minutes before completing a 5-2 win over England Hockey East Division rivals Bedford.
A ninth minute penalty conversion by Ollie Baxter got things under way for Chi, who made it 2-0 from an Andrew Sparshott field goal.
Teenager Alex Pendle [pictured] popped in another short corner before Dan Mason got Bedford on the board three minutes before half-time.
Richard Blakesley made it 4-1. Sam Mee replied for Bedford, whose hopes of a point disappeared when Pendle got Chichester’s fifth.

Colin French struck two minutes from time to secure a 2-1 win for Trojans against Winchester in an error ridden Southern Premier League Division 1 derby that will probably remain short-lived in the memory.
From Winchester's perspective, the result was not entirely unexpected as the 15-man squad included a number of highly promising young players making their league debuts. Clearly, coach George Harris will need time bed them into this high level of hockey.
Runners-up to Guildford last season, Trojans started well, forcing Ally Birch into an early save at a penalty corner. Barely 60 seconds later they grabbed the lead as an excellent through ball found French on the back line. His pinpoint pass back to Richard Hill made it 1-0.
Neither keeper was involved for a while as the two teams took it in turns to pass to the opposition and to relinquish possession at the first available opportunity. This led to a frenetic display which only compounded the quality of hockey. 
A ray of light appeared for Winchester midway through the half as Eton College debutant Luke Whittome swooped to strike a reverse-hit ball across the "D" from the left. Never known to score a straightforward goal, Adam Major deflected the ball past the keeper from the narrowest of angles to make it 1-1.  
The remainder of the half remained scrappy with Birch being called into action three times and Winchester having to clear off their line on a separate occasion.
The second period continued much the same, but Trojans, spotting some hesitation in a newly-built Winchester defence, put huge pressure on Harry Trussler and James Pauley when in possession and with few options on the move in front of them, there were a number of heart-stopping moments. 
The most dangerous was when French won the ball and found himself one-on-one with his keeper-friend Birch, but the goalkeeper underlined his experience by pushing him wide. The shot hit the side netting.
Winchester has their own moments with Ben Hibberd deflecting just over the bar and 14-year-old Olly Lander bursting in from the left and winning a penalty corner, which was successfully run down by the Trojans defence. 
The city side looked to have accepted the point but Trojans, with two minutes left, once again stole the ball on half way, drove down the right channel to find French at the far post to crash the ball through a Winchester defender and then through the legs of the unsighted Birch.  

Bournemouth are off to a winning start in the new look South Premier Division 2 West with a creditable 2-0 victory at PHC Chiswick, who finished third in the MBBO Regional League last season.
A goal in each half by Patrick McCalister and University student Hugo Creaney-Birch [pictured] secured the points for the Lions.
The game started at a high tempo. Bournemouth started strong and made their presence known, creating several unconverted chances.
But 25 minutes in Lymington cricketer Conor Moors broke through only to be upended by a clumsy challenge which led to Bournemouth’s opening goal.
The resulting penalty corner was a well worked routine, but only partially on to the waiting stick of McCalister, who rifled the visitors in front.
Bournemouth continued to press either side of the break, but without adding to their lead.
Those missed chances almost came to haunt them as Matt Squires came to the rescue with a desperate goal-line save after goalkeeper Bailey Chatwin had been rounded.
Bournemouth bounced back with Charlie Cooper winning a turnover before slipping a pass through to debutant Hugo Creaney-Birch, who made the points safe with a second goal.
Chiswick threw the proverbial kitchen sink at Bournemouth in the closing stages, pulling their goalkeeper in favour of a kicking back, but the Lions held on to win.
 
 

Fareham face the very real prospect of being without their influential captain Niall Stott and new striker signing James Speke for the entire National League South season after the pair each suffered broken bones in the lead up to and during their curtain raiser 2-1 defeat at Teddington.
Stott was undergoing surgery on his broken ankle today after being injured during the match, while former Havant hitman Speke was hospitalised after falling in training.
Fareham found themselves chasing the game after first half goals by Carl Stitch and Phil Lewis, with a penalty corner conversion in the final play, gave Teddington a 2-0 breaktime lead.
“We started sluggishly, guilty of not keeping possession or valuing the ball first half. We had a couple of chances first half but Teddington were the better side,” sighed Fareham head coach Ben Barnes.
“In the second half we came back into it and should have scored in the third quarter. We finally broke through at a PC through debutant James Meakin, from Loughborough University.”
Fareham 'old boy' Scott Rawlins, meanwhile, hit Team Bath's stoppage time 1-0 winner against visiting Sevenoaks. 
​Fareham did, at least get off to a winning start in Hampshire/Surrey Regional Division 1, with goals by Luke Gould (2), Paul Metcalfe and Phil Larcombe earning a 4-0 win over Havant II.






   
​

Tacita Haines and Georgie Atkins scored early goals within three minutes of each other to point Trojans to a 3-1 win over Investec Women's National South visitors St Albans.
Amy Sheehan made it 3-0 from a penalty stroke, but a minute later sent a spot flick wide of the right-hand post.  Adele Sammons scored a consolation goal for the visitors.  Full report to follow.

Goals from Colin French and Richard Hill secured a 2-1 win for Trojans over Winchester in the South Premier Division One derby at Kings', where Adam Major scored for the hosts.
Bournemouth won 2-0 at PHC Chiswick in Premier 2 West, while Luke Gould struck twice as Fareham II beat their Havant counterparts 4-0 at Henry Cort, where Paul Metcalf and Jamie Young were also on target.
Andy Pett scored twice in Basingstoke's 4-3 win at Surbiton.
Full reports on these matches will appear here shortly.

​It has been a long wait for a South Women’s League match-up between Fareham and Havant and today's feisty encounter did not disappoint with Steve Lemon’s hosts running out 3-1 winners in the Division 3B derby at Henry Cort. 
Both sides had chances in the early stages but it was Fareham who opened the scoring in the 15th minute from a move that began with good work down the right wing from Vicky Field. The ball was played across to the far post where Rachael Millington-Clark scored with a composed finish. 
Seven minutes later Heather Batten, who has joined Fareham from local National League South side Trojans, robbed a Havant defender on the edge of the 'D' before slipping the ball past the keeper to double the lead. 
Midway through the first half Fareham looked to have scored a third but, after a discussion, Rachael M-C's shot from a penalty corner was ruled out for being fractionally too high. 
The first half wasn't by any means one-sided and Havant's pace was always a threat. They would have pulled a goal back from a well struck shot but for Ange Cryne's superb full-length dive deflecting the ball over the bar. 
Fareham's 2-0 half-time lead was deserved but there was still plenty of work to be done to finish the job. 
The second half became messy with regular stoppages for cards on both sides although it never felt like a game that needed so many.
During this spell Poppy Herbert, Havant's most dangerous player, halved the deficit with a good solo effort in the 46th minute. 
Despite the visitors’ increased efforts, Fareham held firm and as the game entered the final stages they regained control. 
With five minutes remaining the points were secured with a third Fareham goal from a penalty corner. Laura Pendleton's deflection of Heather Batten's shot gave the Havant keeper no chance.

​Winchester host Trojans in a tasty South Premier League Division One curtain raiser at Kings’ today (2pm) with coach George Harris believing the city club is ‘very much in transition’ and taking the opportunity to promote talented youngsters from within the youth set up.
Sam Butterfield’s arrival from Bournemouth/Wimborne Wayfarers should boost Winchester’s goalscoring potential, while Luke Wittome has arrived from Eton College. 
“Freddie Hazlitt and Ollie Lander are England Hockey pathway players and have shown promise in preseason. Will Evans is a very attacking halfback who we have high hopes for,” adds Harris.
“But we’ve had some notable departures. Micah Smithard has moved away and Jack Culmer won’t be commuting from Clapham this season. Goalkeeper Dave Jones has moved to Trojans.” 
“Keiran Molloy will continue as captain and he will be assisted by Harry Trussler as Vice captain.”
Trojans, runners-up to Guildford last term, are keeping their team news under wraps, though they gave a good account of themselves in a recent friendly at Fareham.

​Havant open their National One South challenge against Oxted at Havant College on Sunday (2pm) conscious that they will be featuring in a far stronger competition than the West Conference, which they won last season.
Oxted, for instance, won the East Conference in 2017/18 and narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier Division last term, finishing runners-up to Old Georgians.
Youngsters Ethan Hoddle [pictured] and Jack Stubbings have left the area to attend university, but Havant have been busy in the player recruitment stakes, attracting –
• Argentine striker Manuel Silvetti
• Jakob Janicki, a Polish international defender
• Joe Barber, from Southampton
• James Morris from Exeter-based ISCA.
Also joining the squad are Fin Carvalho, Connor Lasrado and Morgan Sturt, who have progressed through the club’s junior section. “Interestingly, Morgan is the first player to come from our Coaching in the Community programme,” says president Chris Pickett.
“Jon Keynes, our Community Coach, converted Morgan from football.”
Atiq Arshad, who played for the club in the last few league games last season and the Premier League play-offs will be returning, but not until the end of October after Pakistan play the Netherlands in an Olympic Qualifier.

Fareham head coach Ben Barnes has been busy with “getting to know you” sessions at Henry Cort following a hectic summer of in’s and out’s at the local National South Division 1 club.
He guestimates the migration of seven players, alongside nine new arrivals – so no surprise he’s been busy scribbling adhesive name tags for the freshers.
So, who’s come and who’s gone ?
Arrivals
• Former Havant goalscorer James Speke
• James Meakin, from Loughborough Students
• Shane Vincent from City of Peterborough
• Goalkeeper Josh Dawson from Nottingham University
• England U16 starlet Rory Penrose, from Winchester
• Josh Steel from Old Georgians
• Will Day returning after graduating at Cardiff University
• James Seager and Rob Wilson after respective spells in Australia
Departures
• Kiwi goalkeeper Tom Mallen and left midfielder Jack Gilbert have returned to their native New Zealand
• Penalty corner specialist Jamie Rawlings has moved to Reading to try his hand in the top Premier Division
• Will Seebold has moved to London
• Midfield talent Will Penrose has gone to Cardiff University
• Matt Ramsay is unable to play due to work commitments as a Physiotherapist
• Jon Price has hung up his boots.
“Niall Stott has taken over the captaincy from Martin Gough, while there’s a great opportunity for youngsters like Philip Larcombe and Fergus Jackson to really make their mark. They are a year older and wider now,” Barnes said.
“Rory Penrose is an exciting addition to the squad and George Davey is improving all the time. The new players have really added to the competition for places.”
Fareham begin their National South League campaign at Teddington on Sunday ahead of a visit to Canterbury.

Retaining the services of teenage talent Alex Pendle, pictured, comes as a significant boost for Chichester on the eve of the West Sussex club’s England Hockey Eastern Conference curtain raiser at Bedford on Sunday.
The highly rated youngster, selected for the England development programme at U23 level, had been widely expected to move to Premier Division giants East Grinstead or Surbiton, but has remained loyal to Chichester, where his father Neil will be first team manager.   Pendle junior has been on fire in the pre-season friendlies, scoring six times.  He also hit the target playing for England U18s in an International tournament in the summer.
Since being on the receiving end of a 9-1 mauling from Fareham, Chichester have beaten Teddington 4-3, Brighton & Hove 3-2 and been edged out 4-3 by Oxted.
They have recruited Jack Knight and Joe Nelmes and have Richard Blakeley back, but otherwise will rely largely on the side that struggled in the Western Conference last term.
Chris Bristow has returned fresh from the summer break and is aiming to maintain his previous high standards, while Alex Baxter, Alex Messenger, Alex Holton and Cameron Ryall look to play considerable roles in the team’s ambitions.

Trojans will be without their inspirational captain Jenny Peebles for the upcoming Investec England Women's Hockey National South 1 campaign which begins against St Alban's at Stoneham Lane on Saturday, noon.
The Stoneham girls will be looking to pick up where they finished last season, winning their last six matches to finish third in Conference West.
In their new look South League they will face Cambridge City, Canterbury, Harleston Magpies, ISCA, Reading, Sevenoaks, Slough, St Alban's and Wimbledon.

​It’s all change on the regional hockey scene with the first round of matches in the revamped England Hockey League pyramid taking place this weekend.
Fareham and Havant will compete in a powerful-looking National South League, with Chichester playing in Conference East, and Trojans and Winchester in South Premier Division One.
Havant won Conference West last season, while Fareham qualified through the seventh- place play-offs.  
The newly formed National South League looks strong, with Brighton & Hove, Canterbury, Ed Ellis’s Oxford Hawks, Oxted, Sevenoaks, Southgate, Team Bath, and Teddington facing the two Hampshire sides.
Havant host Oxted at Havant College on Sunday (2pm), while Fareham travel to Teddington.
Chichester had a rough time in Conference West last season and look to have their work cut out again as they tangle with Bedford, Bromley & Beckenham, Cambridge City, Harleston Magpies, Ollie Knight’s promoted London Edwardians, Old Loughtonians, Spencer, St Alban’s and Wapping.
Trojans finished runners-up to Guildford last winter and, after visiting Winchester in their opener at Kings’, tackle Banbury, Hampstead & Westminsters, Indian Gymkhana, London Wayfarers, Milton Keynes, Oxford University, Tunbridge Wells, West Hampstead, and Wycombe.
Bournemouth play in South Premier 2 West, with Basingstoke, Fareham II and Havant II again lining up in the Hampshire/Surrey Regional Division One.