L1 Struggle On Opening Day Of Super Sixes
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Ladies struggled on their return to the Super Sixes Premier Division, losing both games on Saturday to join Clifton Robinsons and Leicester with no points at the bottom of the table.
Surbiton were given the short straw in their opening match, facing reigning champions East Grinstead, 10-2 winners over Buckingham in the 2019 final at the Copper Box.
East Grinstead began their defence with another 10-2 win, after Chloe Brown opened the scoring in the fourth minute from a penalty corner.
Ellie Rayer doubled the lead in the eighth minute from open play before Surbiton were stunned with two goals in as many minutes, Sophie Bray scoring East Grinstead's third goal and Brown adding a fourth with a second penalty corner conversion at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was more competitive scorewise with Issy Carey pulling a goal back for Surbiton on the quarter hour before Bray scored her second goal in the 20th minute as East Grinstead led 5-1 at the break.
Susie Catlin reduced the arrears to 5-2 in the 23rd minute but Bray scored twice in the 29th minute to complete her hat-trick and score a fourth goal, Surbiton trailing 7-2 at the end of quarter three.
Rayer completed her own hat-trick with goals in the 34th and 37th minutes, either side of Bray's fifth goal of the match in the 36th minute as East Grinstead began in style.
In game two against Slough, Surbiton were caught out early, Dilly Newton breaking the deadlock with a first minute penalty corner.
Alex Scott and Sarah Parkinson-Mills also converted penalty corners in the 12th and 20th minutes to give Slough a 3-0 lead at the interval.
Parkinson-Mills struck again in the 26th minute and Charly Brydon added a fifth goal in the 31st minute before Erica Sanders scored what would prove to be Surbiton's consolation goal in the 33rd minute.
Slough captain, Kat McGonigle completed the scoring with two minutes remaining to give the Berkshire club a convincing 6-1 victory.
Surbiton take on Holcombe on Sunday at 10 am before ending their first weekend with a rematch against Sutton Coldfield, the team promoted with Surbiton from Division One last season, at 2 pm.
The fledgling league table has East Grinstead, Bowdon Hightown and Sutton Coldfield all on six points with Slough, Buckingham and Holcombe all having won one of their first two games.
So far there have been no draws in the Premier Division.