W1 Come From Behind To Beat Loughborough 3-2
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Women had to come from 2-1 down to beat Loughborough Students 3-2 in the Women's Hockey League Premier Division at Sugden Road on Saturday evening.
Surbiton stay in fourth place, but closed the gap to four points as leaders Reading were held to a 1-1 draw by Wimbledon, with Hampstead & Westminster and East Grinstead both three points ahead of the defending champions.
The game versus Loughborough can be watched back via the Surbiton Hockey Club channel on You Tube here
In the last match before the clocks go back this weekend, the game started before sunset with the floodlights switched on.
Loughborough threatened early with former Surbiton player Jess Dyson having a shot wide of the home goal, but in the third minute, Students took the lead from their first penalty corner. Captain, Beth Alexander fed the ball to Rowena Hearn to finish at the left post as Surbiton trailed for the third successive home game.
Loughborough weren't so fortunate from two further awards a few minutes later, but ironically a sequence of four successive penalty corners over a period of two minutes led to Surbiton's equaliser.
From the fourth award, the ball found its way to Lottie Ross who smashed the ball past Molly Smith in the Loughborough goal in the 12th minute to level the scores with her first goal for the first team since 19 September 2020 when Ross scored twice in a 3-0 home victory over Buckingham.
A minute later, Erica Sanders was pushed over in the circle by Loughborough's Faith Joubert, who received a yellow card and conceded a penalty stroke. Unfortunately, the 13th minute proved unlucky for Darcy Bourne who missed the stroke, leaving Smith to go behind the goal to collect the ball.
Loughborough restored their lead in the 19th minute when a long ball from their own 23 meter area eluded the Surbiton defenders and set up a breakaway attack for Kirsten Oudshoorn. Oudshoorn coolly found the backboard in a one on one situation with Surbiton goalkeeper Amber Walton to the delight of the Loughborough players and their supporters.
This time, Loughborough's lead lasted just five minutes before Ellie Mackenzie equalised against her former club, carrying the ball into the circle before scoring from the edge of the circle to ensure the teams were level at 2-2 at the half time break.
Following the first half mini goal fest, there was just one goal in the second half, Bourne converting Surbiton's eighth penalty corner in the 58th minute with the ball just crossing the line in a similar situation to Martha Taylor's penalty corner conversion at Reading six days earlier, as Bourne scored Surbiton's final goal from a penalty corner for the second game running.
Loughborough had hopes of snatching a late equaliser from a penalty corner three minutes from time but Surbiton defended successfully and a final cross from the right in the last minute eluded everybody in the circle to ensure that Surbiton held on for the win after gaining just one point in the doubleheader fixtures last weekend.
Reading were on course for a win at Wimbledon after Anna-Ross Gabbitass gave them a fifth minute lead but Katie Birch's 56th minute equaliser earned Wimbledon their fourth 1-1 draw of the season and their third in succession.
Hampstead & Westminster head East Grinstead on goal difference in second place after a 6-0 win at Clifton Robinsons. Lucy Hyams helped herself to a hat-trick, Sofia Martin, Rose Tynan and Madi Ratcliffe also scoring as Hampstead kept a clean sheet for the second successive away game.
East Grinstead beat Bowdon 4-2 at Saint Hill, Biba Mills, Lily Walker, Summer Knight Thompson and Mollie Mason putting them 4-0 ahead before Bowdon made a mini comeback with Rebecca Birch and Georgia Carroll scoring for the Altrincham club.
The University of Birmingham drew for the second successive match, 2-2 at the University of Nottingham. Maddie Long gave Nottingham the lead before Lily Sokhi levelled. Monica Watkins gave Nottingham a 2-1 lead but Sarah Parkinson-Mills earned a point six minutes from time.
Sutton Coldfield earned their first point of the season in a 1-1 home draw with Holcombe. After a goalless first half, Leisa Randall gave Holcombe a 1-0 lead in the 42nd minute but Susan Wood's 67th minute penalty corner was enough for both teams' losing runs to be ended.
Surbiton head to Holcombe next Saturday (2 November). Push back at Holcombe Park is at 1600.