M1 Visit Brooklands On Sunday
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Men make the long trip to Manchester to face Brooklands Manchester University on Sunday (push back 2.15 pm).
Due to the shortened 2020-21 season and last season's restructure allowing the possibility that teams may only meet once during the season, Surbiton are making their first trip to Brooklands since September 2019 when they won 12-0 with Alan Forsyth scoring four goals, Luke Taylor netting a hat-trick and Ben Boon a brace.
Surbiton have dominated recent meetings with the Manchester club, winning 9-1 at Sugden Road last season, and having won 7-2 in the North West in October 2018.
In 2017, both meetings at Brooklands ended in a 3-3 draw after Surbiton had won 6-4 in September 2015.
Brooklands last beat Surbiton at home in October 2010 when Dave Flanagan's goal gave them a 1-0 win. Surbiton first met Brooklands in the old Division One in 1997-98 when the teams drew 1-1 at Brooklands.
This season, Brooklands started the season with a 4-2 loss at Reading; then lost 2-1 at home to newly promoted University of Nottingham before securing their first point of the season in a 2-2 draw at the University of Exeter, who equalised in the last minute.
Andrew Jackson has scored twice with Craig Falconer, Nick Hale and Stefan Ray-Hills each scoring once.
On Saturday night, Wimbledon went to the top of the table after a 4-1 home win over the University of Exeter. Surbiton are second, two points behind Wimbledon, having played the same number of games (Wimbledon are a game behind having played in the Euro Hockey League in Hamburg).
Holcombe joined Surbiton on seven points after a thrilling 5-4 win at Reading and Hampstead & Westminster won 3-1 at East Grinstead.
On Sunday, Old Georgians, also a game behind due to the Euro Hockey League, visit Beeston and the University of Nottingham travel to Oxted.