W1 Thwarted As EG Comeback Earns 3-3 Draw
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Women will wonder how they had to settle for a point at Saint Hill on Saturday afternoon after East Grinstead came from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 in an unpredictable Women's Hockey League Premier Division match.
The match can be watched back via the East Grinstead Hockey TV channel on You Tube here
With Storm Amy having caused havoc in parts of the country, the South of England was battered by strong winds, which were starting to die down when the game started at 4 pm.
With some rain falling and the skies darkening, the floodlights were switched on, although by the end of the game, the sun was shining with limited warmth on a day when the temperature was generally cold.
And just as the weather was changeable the meeting between East Grinstead and Surbiton was just as changeable, Biba Mills mounting a comeback for the hosts with three goals in what turned out to be an unlucky thirteen minute spell for Surbiton.
Surbiton made a lightning start, stunning East Grinstead after just 24 seconds. Martha Taylor and Sophie Hamilton played a one-two passing move down the right before Taylor pulled the ball back for Maddie Axford to somehow get the ball through home goalkeeper Mila Welch and against the backboard from the edge of the circle.
The goal is unofficially Surbiton Women's fastest ever National League goal, Sandra Frankland, who is now Sandra Roche and played for Oxford Hawks in the Conference Midlands on Saturday, having scored after just 34 seconds against Olton & West Warwicks in the team's record 12-1 win in the Premier Division on 28 September 2013.
By a statistical quirk of fate, Axford's goal ensured that she scored against East Grinstead in her team's third league fixture of the season for the third season in a row, having achieved the feat twice for her former club, the University of Nottingham, although Nottingham had lost both matches, 5-3 in the East Midlands in 2024-25 and 4-2 at Saint Hill in 2023-24.
Ellie Mackenzie had been the last Surbiton player to score in the first minute, after 55 seconds against Sutton Coldfield last season, Darcy Bourne doubling the lead in the second minute at Sugden Road.
Down at Saint Hill, Surbiton's supporters had to wait slightly longer for their side's second goal, Axford once again on target, eluding Welch before dispatching the ball into the far left corner.
Having been beaten twice, Welch saved from Surbiton's Storm Amy, Amy Costello from Surbiton's first PC and then saved Darcy Bourne's shot from a retaken second corner after original injector Georgie Gardens had to be replaced by Katie Curtis for an infringement.
Surbiton played some excellent passing hockey but couldn't make a further breakthrough before half time.
Axford's hopes of scoring against East Grinstead and being on the winning side for the first time were given a boost in the 49th minute when Surbiton were awarded a penalty stroke after some drama in the circle. Axford's shot was saved by Welch, the ball found its way to Taylor who struck the left post before Erica Sanders put the ball in the goal off an East Grinstead foot, only for a penalty stroke to be awarded before the ball crossed the line.
Sanders, having scored twice at Reading last week, wasn't going to be denied and duly slotted the ball past Welch and against the backboard to seemingly set Surbiton firmly on the road to victory.
Biba Mills had other ideas and the unlikely comeback started in the 52nd minute when she beat Surbiton goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran from the penalty spot to reduce the deficit to 3-1.
Suddenly, East Grinstead's penalty corner routine was perfectly executed, Mills expertly finding the backboard in the 54th minute and then giving her team hopes of coming from behind to win when she levelled the scores with five minutes remaining.
Surbiton had a chance to retake the lead from their sixth penalty corner in the penultimate minute, but Welch saved and honours were even with both teams picking up a point.
Surbiton, who led Durham University on goal difference last weekend, were replaced at the top by Hampstead & Westminster, who are the only team with maximum points after three games. Miriam Pritchard kept her third clean sheet of the season as Hampstead overwhelmed Clifton Robinsons 7-0, Catherine Ledesma helping herself to a hat-trick, with Lucy Hyams, Olivia Hamilton, Jo Leigh and Esme Burge also finding the net.
The University of Birmingham also dropped their first points in a home thriller, Wimbledon coming from 2-0 down to draw 4-4. Sarah Parkinson-Mills and Lottie Atkinson gave the students their two goal advantage but Hannah Bond and Charlotte Watson levelled things up at 2-2 by half time. Coca Hall and Lily Sokhi restored the hosts two goal lead within ten minutes of the start of the third quarter, but Anna Toman and Flo Fletcher earned the South West London club a point.
After starting their maiden season in the top-flight with two wins, Durham University suffered defeat for the first time on the road at Bowdon. Hannah Grieve, Lauren Burrell and Jaimee Eades gave Bowdon a 3-0 lead at half time, but although Lorna Crawford and Lizzy Pocknell pulled two goals back in the last two minutes, Bowdon held on for a 3-2 win and their first points of the season.
Loughborough Students earned their second win of the season, Hannah Boss converting a penalty corner to give them a 1-0 win over Barnes who are still looking for their first points and goal in the Premier Division.
Reading bounced back from last weekend's home defeat to Surbiton by winning 3-1 at the University of Nottingham. Lily Runnicles gave Reading the lead before Star Horlock equalised for Nottingham. Megan Crowson's brace in the last eight minutes earned Reading all three points.
The University of Nottingham are Surbiton's next opponents at Sugden Road next Saturday (11 Oct). Push back is at 1700.