Champions Khalsa suffer first loss of the season

Khalsa started lethargically in the warm conditions and were punished inside five minutes when a short corner was deflected past Nick Mills.

A second goal quickly followed and despite chances for Gurminder Ghattaura, Mickey Hayer and Dharminder Singh, West Bridgford maintained their two-goal advantage until the break.

Within five minutes of the restart, the visitors made it 3-0 from a penalty corner to leave Khalsa facing an embarrassing defeat.

Ghattaura pulled one back to kickstart a comeback and a sublime touch from Surinder Saini made it 3-2.

However, with Khalsa committing men forward, West Bridgford exploited their lack of numbers at the back to score a fourth.

Ghattaura added his second of the game from a short corner and Jas Singh came agonisingly close to an equaliser before a sloppily conceded short corner allowed the visitors to re-establish their two-goal cushion.

Aaron Nagra pulled another one back from a short corner to give Khalsa hope of salvaging a draw, but West Bridgford made the game safe with a sixth in the dying seconds.

Khalsa 2nds produced five second-half goals without reply to beat hosts Redditch 6-1 and secure promotion to Midlands Division One.

Khalsa had six first-half short corners, but Jiwan Singh Sidhu’s flick was their only reward and they went in level at half-time after Redditch had equalised, also from a short corner.

The visitors were not quite so wasteful in the second period, with Anit Chudasama (2), Ricky Atwal, Jay Nagra and Sav Lall scoring from open play to ensure Khalsa will be crowned champions if they win one of their final two games.

Goals from Ravinder Singh Bharaj and Parminder Singh Birdi gave Khalsa 3rds a 2-1 win at home to Solihull Blossomfield.

Warwick men’s 1sts kept their Midlands Premier survival hopes alive with a 2-1 win at Edgbaston 2nds.

Dave Bryce put them ahead from a penalty flick after his short corner was stopped on the line by a defender’s foot and man-of-the-match Loz Foster doubled the advantage after a well-worked short corner.

Ant Baxter and Steve Cooke had shots well saved before Jon Byrd smashed a reverse stick effort over the bar. Edgbaston scored a late consolation through Darren Hetherington.

Warwick men’s 4ths slipped to fifth in the West Midlands Premier after a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Olton & West Warwick 4ths, while the 5ths’ hopes of promotion from South East Division Two were ended with a 4-2 defeat at Leicester Westleigh.

Goals from Andy Griffin and Steve Chidlow gave an under-strength Warwick hope at 2-2 before two short-corner goals killed off their challenge.

Warwick women’s 1sts, however, still have promotion in their own hands after a 9-1 drubbing of Rugby and East Warwickshire.

Bertie Harris (2), Kirstin Bryce, Charlotte Poole and Angela Briggs were on target in a one-sided first half, with Bryce going on to complete her hat-trick after the break.

Poole added her second and Polly LaPage-Norris was also on target to complete the scoring.

Aggie Poole was on target as the women’s 2nds crashed to a 5-1 defeat at Sutton Coldfield 3rds.