Hockey: Doncaster’s men facing battle to avoid the drop

Back-to-back defeats have left Doncaster clinging to their second tier status in the Men’s Hockey League.
Matt GibsonMatt Gibson
Matt Gibson

The Town Field men lost 3-1 to Leeds in a rearranged match last Thursday and suffered a disastrous 6-0 defeat at already relegated Belper on Sunday.

Doncaster are currently seventh in the Conference North table, level on points with eighth-placed Preston.

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The team finishing eighth will be relegated, while the team finishing seventh must enter the relegation play-offs to try and preserve their place in the newly-created Division One North for 2019/20.

Doncaster host Loughborough Students this Sunday (2pm) in their final game of the normal league season, knowing only a victory will guarantee a place in the relegation play-offs.

Preston will leapfrog Doncaster in the table, and consign them to relegation, if they better their result at home to Belper.

- Youngsters Daisy Bennett and Lara Jacobs both scored on their first team debuts as newly-promoted Doncaster ladies ended their season in style with a 6-1 win over University of Leeds.

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Goals from Charlotte Dodds and Bennett gave Doncaster a 2-0 half time lead.

Linda Kotta, Jay Noddle, Vez Blyth and Jacobs were on target in the second half as the home side eased to victory.

Doncaster look set to finish second in the Northern Premier Division.

Third-placed Wakefield would need to beat champions Pendle Forest by seven clear goals in their remaining game to leapfrog the Town Field ladies.