M1 Warm Up For Wimbledon Clash with 3-2 Win Over Southgate
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Men warmed up for Thursday's clash with local rivals Wimbledon, by beating Southgate 3-2 in the Men's Hockey League Premier Division at Sugden Road on Saturday night.
Surbiton stay five points behind leaders Old Georgians with the game against Wimbledon in hand, whilst Southgate remain in tenth place, a point ahead of Richmond.
The game can be watched back via the Surbiton Hockey Club channel on You Tube here
Southgate gave Surbiton a battle, opening the scoring before equalising after Surbiton led 2-1 and only effectively conceding defeat with nine minutes remaining.
Southgate had beaten Bowdon 4-3 and drawn at Beeston in their last two matches having lost their first five games, and were even more confident when Karan Sofat put them ahead in the 11th minute by sending the ball into the far left corner.
Surbiton were level two minutes later, Tim Nurse's shot finished off by Jake Smith, Surbiton scoring in the 13th minute for the third time this season after Jake Payton scored at Richmond and Struan Walker scored at Cardiff & Met.
It was Walker who put Surbiton ahead for the first time in the 41st minute from open play, scoring with a overhead stick from close range, however Southgate, as Surbiton had done in the first quarter, levelled two minutes later, Sofat deflecting a penalty corner shot into the roof of the net to encourage the visiting supporters.
Southgate goalkeeper, Calum Douglas made several saves, including denying Luke Taylor from a penalty corner, but there was nothing he could do in the 61st minute when Gareth Furlong scored the winner from a penalty corner.
Douglas had also been Southgate's hero in the 50th minute, saving Walker's penalty stroke after James Gall was fouled, but Furlong eventually clinched the three points in a well fought battle.
Old Georgians marched on with an 8-2 home win over East Grinstead. Sam Ward scored five goals with Alan Forsyth netting a brace and Liam Sanford also scoring once. Louis Tipper and Simon Faulkner replied for East Grinstead.
Holcombe kept pace with Surbiton on points following their 6-0 home win over Richmond. Teague Marcano's treble, plus goals from Matt Ramshaw, Alex Pendle and Samkelo Mvimbl, clinched their third successive victory.
Hampstead & Westminster remain three points behind Surbiton and Holcombe after a 6-1 win over Cardiff & Met at Paddington Rec.
Rupert Shipperley scored in the first minute, only for Jonny Fleck to quickly equalise for Cardiff & Met. Josh Kelly scored twice supported by Jolyon Morgan, Matt Richards and Tim Guise-Brown, for their fourth win in five games.
Wimbledon will also go into Thursday's match with a 3-2 win under their belts after Sam Hooper won the match with a last minute penalty stroke. Joseph Paul and George Fletcher twice put Beeston in the lead, but first Kaden Draysey equalised at 1-1, then Euan Gilmour levelled at 2-2 before Hooper's late drama.
Oxted moved up to sixth thanks to their 4-1 win over Bowdon. Guy Morgan's brace and goals from Charlie Axford and Chris Porter earned the win with Zach Rakkas scoring Bowdon's consolation goal.
Surbiton's match with Wimbledon starts at 2000 on Thursday.