L1 Facing Relegation Battle In Super Sixes
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Ladies will face a relegation battle when the Super Sixes Premier Division resumes next weekend at Telford.
At the halfway stage of the competition, Surbiton are pointless along with Clifton Robinsons and Leicester and with the three teams due to meet each other on the final day of the tournament, Surbiton will need a minimum of two wins to have any chance of staying up.
After losing 10-2 to reigning champions East Grinstead and 6-1 to Slough on Saturday, Surbiton faced Holcombe on Sunday morning but went down 5-3. Joanne Westwood put Holcombe ahead in the third minute with Emma Trunks doubling the lead in the 14th minute from a penalty corner.
Surbiton's Erica Sanders pulled a goal back on the quarter hour as Surbiton trailed 2-1 at the interval.
Holcombe pulled away with two goals in the 25th and 26th minutes, Charlotte Watson scoring both with the first coming from a penalty corner.
Issy Carey scored for Surbiton in the 30th minute but within seconds, Holcombe restored their three goal advantage as Heather McEwan made the score 5-2 at the end of the third quarter.
Carey scored in the penultimate minute but Surbiton lost 5-3.
In their final game of the weekend, Surbiton faced Sutton Coldfield, promoted with them from Division One as runners-up last season and in a very thrilling match in which the lead constantly changed, Surbiton's hearts were broken as Sutton scored twice in the last two minutes to win 4-3.
Everything was going to plan when Holly Payne opened the scoring for Surbiton in the third minute, but Sutton levelled just before half time through Vicky Woolford.
Two minutes into the second half, Laura Groves gave Sutton the lead, both the Midlanders' goals having come from penalty corners, but Alice Sharp levelled for Surbiton at the end of the third quarter.
With seven minutes to play, Erica Sanders put Surbiton back into the lead, but with Surbiton heading for their first ever indoor top flight victory, Sutton equalised through Emma Mccabe in the 39th minute and then stole the win in the last minute with Beth Peers converting from the penalty spot.
Surbiton will have another tough test to start the second weekend when they play Bowdon Hightown, along with East Grinstead, the only two teams with maximum points.
Surbiton then take on Buckingham, once again aiming for a top four finish in their second game on Saturday.
On Sunday it will likely be D-Day as Surbiton face Clifton Robinsons in the first match of the day before completing their tournament with a match-up with Leicester.