M1 Home To East Grinstead On Saturday
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Men play their first home game of the 2022-23 Men's Hockey League Premier Division season when they host East Grinstead on Saturday (push back 6.30 pm).
This game follows Surbiton Ladies' match against East Grinstead as part two of a Men's and Ladies' doubleheader.
Surbiton drew 2-2 at Holcombe on Sunday, Luke Taylor equalising after Hayden Phillips gave Holcombe the lead and Alex Williams putting Surbiton ahead before Phil Roper earned a point for the Kent club.
East Grinstead had to come from behind twice to win 3-2 at home to the University of Exeter, Louis Ridge giving Exeter a first minute lead. Simon Faulkner levelled, only for Ollie Drummond to restore Exeter's lead, but Faulkner scored twice to not only notch a hat-trick but give the West Sussex club all three points.
Surbiton have won the last seven home league games against East Grinstead, starting with a 7-0 win in September 2015. Since then, Surbiton have won 4-2, 5-1, 2-1, 4-1, 7-2 and last season 9-1 in March 2022, when eight different Surbiton players scored.
At Saint Hill, Surbiton won 6-1 in Phase One and 2-1 in the Top Six stage, with East Grinstead's Jamie Wallace scoring in all three games.
East Grinstead's last win at Sugden Road came in March 2014 when they won 6-5 on the last day of the season, Mark Pearn scoring twice for the visitiors. James Tindall's home hat-trick was in vain as East Grinstead's victory was enough to ensure they pipped Beeston to first place on goal difference, however in the playoffs, Beeston beat East Grinstead 3-1 on shuffles after a 1-1 draw in normal time. East Grinstead beat Surbiton 4-2 in the semi-finals and Surbiton finished third after a bronze medal playoff victory, 3-2 on shuffles again after a 1-1 draw.
East Grinstead dominated Surbiton between September 2007 and November 2012 when Surbiton ended a run of ten successive games without a victory with a 3-2 win at Sugden Road. The run included a memorable 5-5 draw at Saint Hill in October 2009.
Wimbledon and Old Georgians are competing in the Euro Hockey League in Hamburg this weekend and their scheduled fixture has rescheduled for 12 November.
Wimbledon lost 4-0 to Hamburger Polo Club and then came from behind to beat CA Montrouge of France 5-3 in the ranking match.
Old Georgians play SV Arminen of Austria at 0930 BST on Saturday and play the winners or losers of the match between Dutch club Pinoke or Slavia Prague of the Czech Republic on Sunday.
Back in England, Holcombe are at home to Hampstead & Westminster on Saturday night. In March, Holcombe won 4-3 and Tim Guise-Brown scored for Holcombe and Matt Guise-Brown replied for Hampstead.
On Sunday, Reading travel to Beeston for the first time since October 2019, when the teams drew 2-2.
The University of Nottingham play for the first time outside Nottingham in the Premier Division as they face Brooklands Manchester University, where the teams meet for the first time in the MHL.
And Oxted make the long trip to the University of Exeter where Oxted won 4-3 in March.