W1 Shocked By Wimbledon on Saturday Night
By Colin Pike
Wimbledon shocked Surbiton Women at Sugden Road on Saturday night when they won 2-1 in a Women's Hockey League Premier Division match, scheduled after the third day of Euro Hockey League KO16 action.
Wimbledon had not won at Sugden Road in four previous Premier Division matches, but not only secured their first win at the venue, but also picked up their first win bonus after losing to Holcombe and drawing with Loughborough Students in their first two matches.
Martha Taylor had scored in both meetings last season, once in the Premier Division and once in the League Finals semi-final and kept up her record against Wimbledon in the 28th minute intercepting the ball before Darcy Bourne battled with a Wimbledon defender and Holly Wilkinson crossed the ball for Taylor to find the inside of the left sideboard.
But Wimbledon fought back in the third quarter, Megan Crowson, who had also scored the first goal on the only previous occasion Wimbledon had beaten Surbiton in the Premier Division in October 2022 at Raynes Park High School, deflecting a shot from the right past Amber Walton in the 48th minute.
And just as in 2022, Wimbledon went on to win 2-1, Phoebe Barnett, who scored in the 1-1 draw with Loughborough last week finding herself in a one on one situation with Walton before calmly finishing to give the visitors the victory.
Surbiton drop to third, three points behind new leaders Reading, who won 6-0 at the University of Birmingham. Abbie Dixon scored a hat-trick after Caroline Spence opened the scoring, with Emma McKenzie Findlay and Georgia Jones the Berkshire club's other scorers.
East Grinstead, Surbiton's next opponents, are second after a 5-3 win at the University of Nottingham. Biba Mills' brace plus goals from Connie Penlington, Coutney Hansford and Pippa Lock were enough for the West Sussex club to secure the points. Maddie Axford's double and Monica Watkins were Nottingham's scorers.
Hampstead & Westminster and Holcombe are fourth and fifth, joining Surbiton on six points and met at Paddington Rec, Hampstead winning 4-1 in the only home win of the day. Rose Tynan, Madi Ratcliffe, Lucy Hyams and Sofia Martin scored for last season's League Finals runners-up, with Olivia Shannon's early goal for Holcombe proving to be a consolation.
Loughborough are seventh after a 5-3 win at Sutton Coldfield. Becca Malyon, Hollie Dring-Richardson, Beth Alexander, Kirsten Oudshoorn and Sam McCrory scored for Loughborough, whilst Beth Peers, Vicky Woolford and Emma McCabe replied for Sutton Coldfield.
Clifton Robinsons joined Sutton Coldfield as the only teams without a point in the Premier Division after a 3-1 home defeat to Bowdon. Maddie Scullion, Annabel Mills and Aine Curran scored for Bowdon with Carmen Ansley scoring for Clifton.
Surbiton travel to East Grinstead next Saturday for a 1600 push back at Saint Hill.