L1 And M1 Back In Super 6s Action This Weekend
By Colin Pike
Both Surbiton First Teams are back in Super 6s action this weekend as Surbiton Men aim to finish in the top four in the Premier Division and a place at Finals Day whilst Surbiton Ladies will aim to build on winning all four games last weekend as they aim to win promotion back from Division One.
Surbiton Men won their first three matches last weekend: 12-1 against Reading; 10-1 against Holcombe and 8-0 against East Grinstead before slipping to a 5-3 loss to Wimbledon at Repton.
This weekend, the Men's Premier Division moves closer to home at Whitgift School in Croydon, where Surbiton start their second weekend against Repton at 1330 on Saturday. Brooklands Manchester University are Surbiton's opposition at 1730 and then on Sunday, Surbiton face Sevenoaks at 1100 and Hampstead & Westminster, who won all four games over the first weekend in the final game of the weekend at 1700.
The first weekend saw the Premier Division start to split into two, with the top five teams fighting for a top four place, whilst the bottom four seem likely to be battling to avoid finishing in the bottom two places and being relegated to Division One.
Repton, on their first ever appearance in the Premier Division, started well with a 5-1 win over Brooklands Manchester University, but then lost the next three: 5-4 to Sevenoaks; 5-1 to Hampstead & Westminster and 6-1 to East Grinstead.
Brooklands, like Reading, lost all four games in the first weekend, following the Repton defeat with a 7-2 loss to Hampstead & Westminster; 12-3 to Wimbledon and 7-4 to Sevenoaks.
Sevenoaks, alongside Surbiton, Wimbledon and East Grinstead are three points behind Hampstead and Westminster and battling for Finals day qualification. Sevenoaks' solitary loss came against East Grinstead (3-2) and their third win came against Kent rivals, Holcombe (3-1).
Hampstead & Westminster set the pace a week ago, starting with a 8-6 win over Wimbledon and a 6-1 victory over Reading to go with their wins over Repton and Brooklands.
Surbiton Men's progress can be followed in real time via the England Hockey Altius website here
There will also be in game updates via the Surbiton Twitter account.
Meanwhile, Surbiton Ladies move from Telford to Bristol for their second weekend in Division One.
Surbiton beat Harleston Magpies 4-1, Sevenoaks 6-2, Guildford 5-2 and the University of Birmingham 7-0 to open up a three point lead over Sevenoaks and Clifton Robinsons in their request to return to the Premier Division after being relegated in 2020.
On Saturday, Surbiton start against Reading at 1130 before they face Clifton Robinsons, the team relegated with Surbiton at 1530.
Then on Sunday, Surbiton meet Cambridge City at 1000 finishing against Gloucester City at 1300.
Reading are fifth at the halfway point and began with a 3-1 loss to Clifton Robinsons before drawing 3-3 with Gloucester City. A 4-1 victory over Cambridge City was followed by a 2-2 draw with the University of Birmingham.
Clifton Robinsons were on course to join Surbiton on 12 points at the midway point, but after following their win over Reading with a 4-3 win over Cambridge City and a 8-1 thrashing of Gloucester City, they slipped to a 3-2 defeat to Guildford.
Cambridge City had started with a 4-2 loss to Guildford, but after losing their first three games, they beat Harleston Magpies in an East Anglian derby to lift themselves off the bottom of the table and up to seventh place on goal difference from Magpies.
Gloucester City are bottom of the table with the solitary point earned against Reading, having lost 3-1 to the University of Birmingham and 9-2 to Sevenoaks.
Surbiton Ladies can also be followed in real time at the England Hockey Altius website here