W1 Narrowly Defeated Twice On Opening Day of Super 6s
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Women battled but lost both of their opening matches in the Super 6s Premier Division by single goal margins at Repton School on Saturday.
Surbiton lost 2-1 to East Grinstead and then lost 3-2 to Slough in the last match of the day after battling back from 2-0 down to level at 2-2 before the Berkshire club won the match with five minutes to play.
Surbiton also trailed 2-0 to East Grinstead after Biba Mills opened the scoring from open play in the tenth minute and Chloe Brown converted a penalty corner two minutes later, but Surbiton's defence including goalkeeper Laura Myers facing her old club remained solid for the rest of the match as East Grinstead failed to score from a penalty stroke in the third quarter.
Steph Elliott scored from open play in the 24th minute to reduce the deficit to 2-1 but Surbiton had to settle for a narrow defeat to start their campaign.
Slough had beaten Leicester City 1-0 in their opening match with a Jordan Homann goal with two minutes left and their second match seemed to be going the same way when the first quarter was goalless.
However, Slough struck twice from penalty corners, Homann scoring in the 14th minute and Harriet Ward adding a second two minutes later to leave Surbiton trailing 2-0 for the second time.
Surbiton's battling qualities became apparent as Maelona Rees pulled a goal back within a minute of Ward's strike, leaving all to play for at half time. Holly Payne levelled from a 26th minute penalty corner but Mel Ball's 35th minute open play goal was a heartbreaker for Surbiton as they narrowly lost again.
Slough are one of three teams on six points after two matches and lie in third place behind leaders East Grinstead and second-placed Buckingham. Surbiton are seventh above Leicester City and reigning champions, Repton on goal difference and it is the two teams directly below them who will form their opposition on Sunday.
Surbiton take on Repton at noon with the champions having lost 5-2 to newly promoted Harleston Magpies and 8-1 to East Grinstead on a very disappointing day.
Leicester City lost to the other newly promoted team, going down 5-3 to Guildford in the first game of the day. Harleston Magpies and Guildford are fourth and fifth respectively with Bowdon just a point ahead of Surbiton in sixth after a 4-4 draw with Harleston Magpies. Bowdon faced former player Sally Walton, who is playing for Buckingham in 2024, last season's runners-up and England's representatives in Europe, Buckingham beating Bowdon 4-2.
Sunday's games can be followed in real time at the England Hockey Altius website here