W1 Win 4-1 At Wimbledon
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Women remain third in the Women's Hockey League Premier Division Top Six in spite of a 4-1 win at Wimbledon on Saturday.
Both Hampstead (4-3 home winners over East Grinstead) and Reading (3-2 victors over Loughborough Students at home) won to stay in first and second respectively.
Hampstead remain four points ahead of Reading with Surbiton a further point behind the Berkshire club with three matches remaining in Phase Two, the team finishing top at the end of Phase Two guaranteed a place in European competition next season.
In sunny and warm conditions at Raynes Park High School, Wimbledon kept possession in the early minutes before Surbiton found their rhythm.
Sophie Hamilton and Holly Wilkinson combined before Wimbledon's Becky Manton broke up the play, before Wimbledon conceded a penalty stroke in the ninth minute.
Darcy Bourne sent the stroke into the top right corner out of home goalkeeper, Jessica Buchanan's reach to give Surbiton the lead.
Surbiton had failed to take advantage to two penalty corner awards in the first six minutes, but their open play moves were beginning to cause the Wimbledon defence problems as the hosts needed Paige Gillott to stop an excellent flowing move between Bourne, Hamilton and Alice Sharp.
Buchanan saved from Erica Sanders towards the end of the first quarter, but considering that Wimbledon had come from behind to win 2-1 in the first meeting at Sugden Road in October, Surbiton needed an insurance goal in the first half.
The second goal duly came in the 26th minute, Izzy Petter scoring for the second match in succession after returning to the squad last week at home to Reading.
The goal could have come five minutes earlier when Buchanan made a superb save to deny Hamilton after Wimbledon's Flora Peel had shown great composure to try and bring the ball out of defence under great pressure.
In the third quarter, Martha Taylor went on a run towards goal before Wimbledon won a free hit and Sharp was unlucky with a strong pass which just eluded Sanders.
Wimbledon had lost 4-2 at home to East Grinstead last week but were given a lifeline just ten seconds from the end of the third quarter when former Surbiton player Olivia Chilton halved the deficit for the home team.
But Surbiton were not to be denied a much needed revenge victory with Hamilton going on a mini individual run before finishing past Buchanan in the 58th minute and Bourne slotting a penalty stroke into the top right corner four minutes later to complete a welcome 4-1 away win.
The last time that Surbiton scored two penalty strokes in the same match was on 23 September 2023 in the 6-1 home game v Isca & University of Exeter. Hannah French and Sarah Evans both scored from the spot and as with the game at Wimbledon, Hamilton and Petter also scored against Isca.
Hampstead had to come from behind as Millie Giglio gave East Grinstead a third minute lead. Esme Burge and Pippa Lewis turned the match around for Hampstead to lead 2-1 , only for Olivia Shannon to level for the West Sussex club. Olivia Hamilton and Rose Tynan earned Hampstead a 4-2 lead going into the final quarter, with Grace Balsdon scoring East Grinstead's third goal with six minutes remaining.
Reading needed a 69th minute winner from Anna Crowley after leading 2-0 in the 44th minute. Caroline Spence in the 13th and Katie Partridge in the 44th minutes had given the Berkshire club the two goal advantage, but Loughborough were level in the 53rd minute as Madeleine Goodman and Hollie Dring Richardson scored in the 48th and 53rd minutes respectively.
In the Lower Six, it was all change as Bowdon and the University of Nottingham moved into the all-important top two places for qualification for the playoff pools.
Bowdon thrashed Holcombe 5-1 in Altrincham, although Leisa Randall equalised for Holcombe in the 27th minute after Alex Lukin's 22nd minute opener. A brace from Georgian Carroll and goals from Maddie Scullion and Aine Curran lifted Bowdon up to seventh overall.
The University of Nottingham moved up to eighth, a point behind Bowdon after a 2-0 home win over relegation threatened Sutton Coldfield. Matilda O'Dea and Freya Diamond scored for Nottingham who have a one point lead over the University of Birmingham. The West Midlands students remained locked on 13 points with Clifton Robinsons after the teams drew 1-1 in Bristol. Evie Grindal gave Clifton the lead in the 17th minute , only for Ruby Spavin to earn a point with a 55th minute equaliser.
Surbiton travel to Loughborough Students next Saturday (15 March). Push back is at 1400.