Beeston can still muscle in on the south’s powerhouse teams and field both men’s and women’s teams in the England Hockey men’s Premier Division top six.
On the final weekend before the mid-season break, Beeston men will travel to East Grinstead next Sunday with the winner still in the mix for the final berth. That will, however, depend on Oxted, who hold the aces.
Beeston were 3-1 winners over University of Exeter on Sunday, while East Grinstead’s stuttering season has seemingly found an extra gear when it has mattered.
A 4-1 win over Durham University has given them a sniff of evading the bottom five and facing three university sides, including Brooklands MU who were roundly thrashed 10-0 by Old Georgians. Tom and Ed Carson scored two goals apiece.
At the top, Surbiton came back 2-0 down in the final moments to draw 2-2 thanks to a Luke Taylor penalt stroke and corner goal.
In the Vitality Women’s Premier Division, Beeston secured sixth place thanks to a 4-2 win over Swansea.
Meanwhile, Surbiton edged East Grinstead 2-1 on Sunday.
Twenty four earliers earlier, East Grinstead had ended Buckingham’s hopes with a come-from-behind 3-2 win at Stowe School.