M1 Beat East Grinstead 6-0
By Colin Pike
East Grinstead are still looking for their first win at Sugden Road since March 2014 after a superb second half performance earned Surbiton a 6-0 win in the Men's Hockey League Premier Division on Saturday evening.
Surbiton made it eight home wins in a row against the West Sussex club but to East Grinstead's credit, they trailed 1-0 at half time and it was only a three goals in five minutes spell in the third quarter which ended East Grinstead's resistance, with Surbiton also scoring twice in the 69th minute to make the victory more emphatic.
East Grinstead gave away a penalty corner after just 18 seconds, Alex Williams converting from close range in the second minute to give Surbiton the start they wanted.
But if anybody watching the game thought that the early goal was going to lead to an immediate goal fest on the lines that Surbiton won 9-1 last season, they were disappointed as Daniel Faulkner and Sam Hatherley worked hard in defence for the visitors, Arjan Drayton Chana had a shot blocked and Ben Boon's shot went over the crossbar and wide of the right post in an exciting first quarter.
In the second quarter, Surbiton had a run of three successive penalty corners, East Grinstead having been caught out by aerial balls into the circle. Richard Curtis saved from both Gareth Furlong and Boon and Furlong was denied again before the run of penalty corners ended.
Alistair Clift and Keith Turner were also needed in defence for East Grinstead in the second quarter, with James Mazarelo, making his home debut, making a couple of saves as East Grinstead sought an equaliser.
East Grinstead held out until the 43rd minute when Adam Buckle doubled Surbiton's lead from the right of the circle. Three minutes later, Luke Taylor punished his former club with a clinical drag-flick against the backboard from Surbiton's sixth penalty corner. And just as East Grinstead were coming to terms with going three goals behind, David Goodfield added a fourth with a superb finish in the 48th minute to leave the visitors reeling.
East Grinstead forced a couple of penalty corners in the last ten minutes but Simon Faulkner, who had netted a hat-trick against the University of Exeter the week before was denied by Mazarelo.
In a grandstand finish, Taylor struck again from Surbiton's fourth penalty corner before Williams, who had opened the scoring, found the backboard to complete a comprehensive 6-0 win and maintain East Grinstead's disappointing record at Sugden Road in particular over the last three seasons.
In Saturday night's other Premier Division match, Holcombe beat Hampstead & Westminster 3-1 in Kent. With Wimbledon and Old Georgians in Euro Hockey League action in Hamburg, fixtures are reduced this weekend, but on Sunday, Beeston are at home to Reading; the University of Exeter host Oxted and Brooklands Manchester University welcome the University of Nottingham to the North West.