L1 Visit Holcombe On Saturday

Surbiton Ladies go to Holcombe Park on Saturday to play Holcombe (push back 4.30 pm) as leaders of the Investec Women's Hockey League Premier Division after Hampstead & Westminster dropped their first points of the season last week.

Hampstead were held 4-4 at home by East Grinstead after Surbiton beat Bowdon Hightown 2-0 to open up at two point lead.

Holcombe are fifth after a mixed start to their 2019-20 campaign. Holcombe beat East Grinstead 1-0 at home on opening day and then lost 2-1 at Clifton Robinsons, Lorna Jane Cruickshank scoring their goal in both matches.

Holcombe then came away from Beeston with a 3-2 win before being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Loughborough Students.

Last week, the University of Birmingham went above the Kent club into fourth place after a 3-1 win in the Midlands. Candice Manuel, who scored the only goal in Holcombe's 1-0 home win over Surbiton last season, scored twice at Beeston and was the scorer at Birmingham.

Manuel is Holcombe's top scorer with three goals whilst Alice Wills scored the other goal at Beeston and Jo Westwood scored at home to Loughborough Students.

Although Holcombe beat Surbiton on home turf last season, Surbiton gained revenge in the return fixture at Sugden Road, Autumn Brown and Jenna Woolven scoring in a 2-0 win.

And of course, Giselle Ansley's 24th minute penalty stroke gave Surbiton their sixth successive league title at Lee Valley last season after Holcombe finished top of the Premier Division table at the end of the regular season.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Hampstead are away to Loughborough Students; third placed Buckingham travel to Beeston; the University of Birmingham visit East Grinstead and Bowdon Hightown welcome Clifton Robinsons to the North West.