W1 Hit University of Nottingham For Six
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Women are one of four teams on maximum points after two weeks of the Women's Hockey League Premier Division season after a 6-1 home win over the University of Nottingham at Sugden Road on Saturday afternoon.
The live stream can be watched back via the Surbiton Hockey Club channel on You Tube here
Surbiton repeated the score-line from the Premier Division meeting at Sugden Road from last season, but only after pulling away in the second half after a determined performance by the East Midlands students saw them only trailing 2-0 at the interval.
On a sunny afternoon, it was the visitors who took the initiative at the start with Surbiton goalkeeper, Amber Walton called into action in the sixth minute. Surbiton took a while to get into their rhythm before Darcy Bourne fired past the left post from a Sophie Hamilton pass towards the end of the first quarter.
Having given Surbiton the lead at Clifton Robinsons a week previously, issy Yonge once more scored the opening goal, this time in the 17th minute with lifting the ball over Issy Field in the Nottingham goal and then celebrating with her arm in the air.
In the 28th minute, Jordan Homann, playing against her former club, had a chance to repeat the order of scoring at Clifton but her shot from Surbiton's first penalty corner went wide right.
The match seemed to be on course to be closer than the previous encounters, especially as Surbiton had to wait until the 34th minute to double their lead, Ellie Mackenzie tapping in from short range at the far post to give the hosts some breathing room.
The first indication that the second half was going to be a complete different ballgame came 20 seconds into the third quarter when Holly Wilkinson (Payne) set up a shot from the right for Hamilton, only for Field to kick the ball away.
In the 40th minute, Martha Taylor's pass found Yonge, who ran into the circle before going wide and finding the backboard to give Surbiton a 3-0 lead.
Three minutes later, Yonge became goal provider playing a one-two move with Hamilton who ran along Nottingham's back-line before slipping the ball past Field to make the score 4-0.
Walton's hopes of a second successive clean sheet were ended in the 45th minute when an errant Surbiton pass found Maddie Axford, whose through pass was dispatched into the net by Katie Alexander, who had scored Bowdon's only goal in a 4-1 defeat last March.
Before the third quarter was over, Surbiton led 5-1, Erica Sanders, who had last scored for Surbiton in their final match of the 2019-20, scoring the only goal in ironically a 6-1 defeat at East Grinstead, found herself in a one on one with Field, went one way then spun round to send the ball against the backboard in the 50th minute.
The final goal came two minutes from time, Bourne converting Surbiton's fifth penalty corner of the match to complete a 6-1 victory.
Surbiton are top with at three better goal difference than Reading, who won 3-0 at home to Clifton Robinsons, Caroline Spence scoring twice either side of a goal from Jemima Copeman.
East Grinstead are third on goals scored following their 3-0 win at promoted Sutton Coldfield. Biba Mills also scored twice, either side of Sally Sime's strike.
Promoted Holcombe are the fourth team with six points after Olivia Shannon's strike was enough to earn a 1-0 win at Bowdon.
Wimbledon and Loughborough Students conjured the first draw of the 2024-25 season, Phoebe Barnett giving Wimbledon a 27th minute lead, only for Jess Dyson to level with twelve minutes remaining.
The University of Birmingham are still looking for their first win over Hampstead & Westminster, who ground out a 1-0 win with a ninth minute goal from Anna Moore.
With the Euro Hockey League taking centre stage at Sugden Road from next Thursday, Surbiton Women's scheduled home match with Wimbledon will start at 8 pm on 5 October.