M1 Host Holcombe On Saturday Night
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Men welcome Holcombe to Sugden Road for their latest Men's Hockey League Premier Division match on Saturday (push back 6 pm).
Holcombe are fifth having drawn their last two matches 3-3 at home to Wimbledon and away to Old Georgians last weekend where they led 3-0 before the hosts made a second half comeback.
An opening day 5-3 win at home to East Grinstead was followed by a 2-0 triumph at the University of Exeter before Holcombe were brought down to earth with a stunning 6-1 reverse at home to Hampstead & Westminster.
Nick Bandurak and Barry Middleton are joint top scorers with five goals, with Jeremy Edwards and Robert Field having both scored twice. Tom O'Keeffe, Harry Trusler and Mark Gleghorne have each found the net once for the Kent club.
Meanwhile, Surbiton will be looking to keep up their winning run after a 4-1 home win over East Grinstead last week which saw Luke Taylor's penalty corner hat-trick take his season tally to eleven and become the division's leading goalscorer. Arjan Drayton-Chana opened the scoring with Simon Faulkner scoring East Grinstead's late consolation goal.
Last season, Surbiton did the double winning 6-1 in Kent after Bandurak put Holcombe ahead in the first minute. Alan Forsyth scored four goals with Tom Sorsby and David Goodfield also scoring.
In the return match at Sugden Road, Surbiton won 4-1, Drayton-Chana scoring twice supported by Goodfield and Hayden Beltz. Conor Caplan was Holcombe's scorer.
This weekend all the matches are being played on Saturday with Old Georgians having the opportunity to go back to the top of the table before Surbiton's match as they visit Brooklands Manchester University in the afternoon.
Hampstead & Westminster have an evening local derby at home to Wimbledon but the match will be played at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, not Paddington Recreation Ground.
Beeston host Reading with both teams struggling to find form this season and the University of Exeter travel to East Grinstead.