M1 Visit Wimbledon On Saturday
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Men face an important doubleheader this weekend as they look to finish second in the Men's Hockey League Premier Division Top Six and ensure they will play all three games in the Playoff Pools at home.
Surbiton's local rivals, Old Georgians are likely to clinch first place with a home win over Oxted on Saturday as they would be at least seven points ahead of Surbiton with just two games remaining.
Old Georgians would come to Sugden Road on Sunday as champions, but first, Surbiton have to visit third-placed Wimbledon on Saturday afternoon, knowing that victory would all but clinch the coveted second place finish.
The only other team which can catch Surbiton is fourth-placed Holcombe, currently four points behind Surbiton, the Kent club having a home doubleheader against Hampstead & Westminster on Saturday and Wimbledon on Sunday.
But if Wimbledon win at Raynes Park High School at 1600, then both teams would be on 32 points, with Surbiton staying second on goal difference.
Wimbledon also have to face Old Georgians in their final match next weekend, after their trip to Holcombe on Sunday.
Surbiton finish their league programme at Hampstead & Westminster on the evening of 29 March.
Taking each game in turn, Surbiton face a Wimbledon team which were beaten 3-2 in the Euro Hockey League KO8 in October before the rearranged Premier Division game was drawn 2-2 in November.
At the EHL, Luke Taylor and Struan Walker gave Surbiton a 2-0 lead before Sam Hooper pulled a goal back for Wimbledon. Walker added a second goal before Fred Newbold gave Surbiton a nervous last ten minutes before the hosts' qualification for the FINAL8 was confirmed.
In the rearranged league match on a Thursday night, Surbiton led twice through Jake Payton and Taylor but Wimbledon fought back twice through Ben Francis and Connor Greentree.
The draw was Wimbledon's second of the season after a 3-3 home draw against Oxted. Wimbledon have only lost twice this season, 5-3 at Holcombe on the opening day of the season and 4-3 at Old Georgians.
Wimbledon have won both their matches in 2025, 4-3 at home to Hampstead & Westminster and 3-0 at Oxted.
Wimbledon have plenty of scoring potential with 14 players having found the net for them this season. Sam Hooper is top of their goalscoring chart with eight, closely followed by Liam Ansell, Ed Horler and Fred Newbold, who have all scored six goals.
Ben Francis has netted five times, Euan Gilmour has scored three goals, with Jack Turner, Connor Greentree, Kaden Draysey and Sam McCulloch all on two.
Evan Kimber, Joe McConnell, James Vallely and Jonny Lankfer have all scored once.
The other two matches in the Top Six at Holcombe and Old Georgians on Saturday start at 1800.
In the Lower Six, the battle for the final two places in the playoffs continues. Beeston and Cardiff & Met currently hold the two qualifying places, level on 16 points with Beeston having a game in hand. Cardiff & Met visit Richmond whilst Beeston go to Southgate. East Grinstead, who are realistically the only other team who can qualify, a point behind the leaders, are at home to Bowdon.
Beeston then host East Grinstead on Sunday, with Cardiff & Met not playing as they rearranged their scheduled match at Southgate to take place a week before the Lower Six season resumed after the mid-season break.