M1 On Cusp Of Super Sixes Promotion
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Men are all but promoted from Super Sixes Division One after maintaining their one hundred per cent record with two 8-3 victories over Beeston and Bowdon on Saturday in Bristol.
Oxted are five points behind in second with Repton the only other team who can deprive Surbiton of promotion in third place, six points behind with just two games remaining.
Surbiton will clinch promotion if Repton fail to beat Ashmoor in the first game on Sunday morning or by gaining at least a point against Brooklands Manchester University in Sunday's second scheduled game.
If Surbiton lost to Brooklands and Guildford on Sunday and Repton beat Ashmoor and Bowdon to draw level on 18 points, Repton would still have to overcome a 19 inferior goal difference to steal a promotion place. Oxted face Beeston and Exeter University.
Against Beeston, Surbiton led 2-0 after just three minutes thanks to Jake Payton's brace with goals from a penalty corner and open play.
Beeston replied through Ollie Ashdown in the 13th minute before Jonny Gall scored from a penalty corner on the quarter hour and Stuart Rushmere gave Surbiton a 4-1 lead from the penalty spot.
Ben Collinson reduced the deficit to 4-2 from a 17th minute penalty corner, but Surbiton changed ends with a 5-2 lead after Will Haspel scored from open play just before half time.
Barry Middleton stunned the Beeston defence within seconds of the start of the third quarter to make the score 6-2, only for Will Prentice to keep Beeston in the match with just five minutes remaining.
As in the 15th and 16th minutes, Jonny Gall and Rushmere scored from a penalty corner and a penalty stroke in the 37th and 39th minutes to earn Surbiton their first 8-3 win of the day.
In the final game of the day, Payton struck early for the second time, breaking the deadlock against Beeston from a second minute penalty corner.
Middleton doubled the lead from open play in the fifth minute with Payton lethal from a penalty corner again in the eighth minute with James Gall giving Surbiton a commanding 4-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter would have been goalless if Simon Egerton had not opened Bowdon's account in the 19th minute from a penalty corner as Surbiton led 4-1 at half time.
Bowdon held out until the 27th minute when Tim Nurse scored from open play before Jonny Gall extended Surbiton's lead to 6-1 from a penalty corner in the 29th minute.
Surbiton led 8-1 with four minutes to play after Payton scored in the 33rd and 36th minutes from open play, but Bowdon mounted a mini comeback as Richie Dawson-Smith converted a penalty corner in the 38th minute and Tom Ainsworth netted from open play a minute later to ensure that Surbiton won 8-3 for the second time on Saturday.
Payton goes into the final day as top scorer in Division One on 12 goals with Oxted's Charlie Axford on 10.
Surbiton play Brooklands Manchester University at 1000 on Sunday with the Manchester club battling against relegation. Guildford go into the final day in fourth place, five points behind second-placed Oxted and face Surbiton at 1600.
More information about the Men's Division One can be found at the England Hockey Altius website here.
Sunday's games can also be followed in real time via the England Hockey Altius website.