M1 Host Reading On Saturday Night
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Men continue their Men's Hockey League Premier Division campaign on Saturday night when they welcome Reading to Sugden Road (push back 6 pm).
Those supporters unable to attend the match can watch via the Surbiton Hockey Club channel on You Tube here
Surbiton are second in the Premier Division, trailing leaders Old Georgians on goal difference as Old Georgians have a plus 3-2 goal difference with Surbiton on plus 30.
Reading are currently eleventh, but have an extra match to play as last Saturday's home game with East Grinstead was abandoned at the end of the third quarter with East Grinstead leading 2-0 meaning the match will have to be replayed.
Reading's sole win this season came in a 3-2 victory at the University of Nottingham. Otherwise, Reading lost 4-0 at Holcombe; 3-2 at home to Cardiff & Met; 5-1 at home to Hampstead & Westminster; 8-0 at Old Georgians; 4-1 at home to Southgate and 5-1 at Oxted.
Nick Catlin is the only Reading player to have scored more than once with two goals. Reading's other goals have come from George Fletcher, Ben Hooper, Tom Minall, Ben Mackey, William Holderness and Lewis Fraser.
Meanwhile Surbiton have been in free scoring form this season with 31 goals in their last five games, in the course of compiling a five game winning streak after their home defeat to Holcombe. Their last three games have seen a 6-0 home win over Oxted and away wins at Beeston (9-1) and Cardiff & Met (8-0). The only score Surbiton haven't achieved between one and nine in league matches this season is four.
Last season, Surbiton won all three meetings with a 5-2 home win in October, a 4-0 away win on the last day of the regular season in March and a 1-0 win at Sonning Lane in the League Finals Pool match.
Reading last won at Surbiton in March 2012, when they went back to Berkshire with all three points thanks to their 4-3 victory.
Old Georgians travel to East Grinstead on Saturday evening; third-placed Holcombe are at home to Beeston; with fourth-placed Wimbledon taking on the University of Nottingham in the East Midlands, with Nottingham still looking for their first points this season.
Southgate and Oxted, who are battling for a Top Six place and are only separated by goal difference, meet at Southgate Hockey Centre, whilst Cardiff & Met will be hoping to bounce back from two heavy home defeats (1-9 v Old Georgians and 0-8 v Surbiton) when they visit Hampstead & Westminster.