W1 Close Gap On Hampstead With 5-0 Win at Loughborough
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Women closed the gap on leaders Hampstead & Westminster in the Women's Hockey League Top Six after they won 5-0 at Loughborough Students on Saturday afternoon.
Hampstead lost 2-0 at Wimbledon to end a 12 game unbeaten run since they lost at East Grinstead on the opening day of Phase One, and saw their lead reduced to two points with two games remaining, against Surbiton next weekend and at home to Reading on the final day.
Reading are a point behind Surbiton, as the race to clinch a European place by finishing top of the table after Phase 2 is now between the top three teams after Reading came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at East Grinstead.
Surbiton had won 5-0 at Loughborough Students on the opening day of the 2022-23 season, but Loughborough went into the match having lost by a single goal margin to both Hampstead and Reading in 2025.
Loughborough put Surbiton under immediate pressure, forcing a penalty corner after just 27 seconds, with the visitors having to defend two further successive awards before the danger was cleared.
Surbiton regrouped and started to build dangerous attacks, Giselle Ansley's angled pass finding Katie Curtis on the left and a subsequent passing move only ending when Loughborough's Ellen Reid successfully intervened.
Martha Taylor was a threat in the circle, Loughborough's Pippi Spawforth needed to intercept a Surbiton aerial and Loughborough's Becca Malyon needed brief treatment after being struck by Erica Sanders' shot from Surbiton's first penalty corner in the 12th minute.
The teams remained goalless by the end of the first quarter, but Surbiton's persistence was rewarded in the 24th minute when Sanders' shot from the left found its way into goal to give the visitors the lead.
Five minutes later, Surbiton had a two goal advantage, this time from their second penalty corner as Ellie Mackenzie, back with Surbiton after being on Scotland duty in the Hockey Nations Cup in Chile, converted to give her side breathing space.
Loughborough threatened twice from penalty corners in the second and third quarters, Rowena Hearn being denied by Surbiton goalkeeper, Amber Walton, but by the time the second effort was on target, Surbiton were leading 3-0, Darcy Bourne, who scored twice from the penalty spot last week at Wimbledon, scoring with a looping shot over the goal-line from open play in the 37th minute.
Mackenzie scored Surbiton's fourth goal and her second of the match in the 49th minute finishing a cross from the right from Sanders. The goal was confirmed after both umpires consulted.
Ansley completed the scoring in the 56th minute with a trademark penalty corner conversion from Surbiton's fourth award, although their fifth and final set-piece was mis-trapped before Bourne recovered possession and forced a long corner.
Surbiton had several chances to extend their lead with Mackenzie, Bourne, and Izzy Petter all going close and Loughborough also had goalkeeper Molly Smith and defender Beth Alexander to thank for excellent saves and defensive work.
The weather in Leicestershire was changeable during the afternoon with occasional black clouds and sunny spells, the floodlights being switched on just before half time, but Surbiton came back to Elmbridge with all three points and a boost to their goal difference.
Lucy Holder and Paige Gillott were on target for Wimbledon at Raynes Park High School, a result which still gives Wimbledon hope of pipping East Grinstead for fourth place.
East Grinstead were 2-0 up against Reading at half time after Tess Howard and Emma Bandurak scored for the West Sussex club, but Lorna Mackenzie halved the deficit and Georgia Howe, who scored in Reading's 2-2 draw at Surbiton, this time salvaged a point with five minutes remaining.
In the Lower Six, Bowdon and Clifton Robinsons are on course to join the Top Six in the playoff pools. Bowdon won 4-2 at Sutton Coldfield, Tilly Irvine, Maddie Scullion, Annabel Mills and Georgia Carroll scoring for the Altrincham team, Susan Wood scoring both goals for Sutton Coldfield from penalty corners.
Clifton Robinsons beat the University of Nottingham 2-1 in Bristol, Darcy Shields and Livvy Lane helping Clifton to come back from 1-0 down after Monica Watkins opened the scoring in the 49th minute.
Honours were even at the University of Birmingham as their match with Holcombe ended in a 2-2 draw. Carter Ayars and Coca Hall gave Birmingham a 2-0 lead after just 14 minutes but Holcombe came back to level through Robyn Hodges and Mayra Lacheno, who both scored in the last eight minutes.
Surbiton face leaders Hampstead & Westminster next Saturday at Sugden Road, push back 1800.