W2 Draw 2-2 with Wimbledon 2

After last week's trek to Berkshire, my second match as loanee Press Officer for the Women's 2s was a home game against the other second team in the WHL Division One South, Wimbledon.

Having experienced fun and games trying to get to Slough seven days earlier, I decided to walk from my home in Surbiton to Sugden Road, changing last week's frustration exercise to literal exercise (and who says Press Officers don't undertake physical training?).

I arrived in Elmbridge with plenty of time to spare and prepare for the local derby. As I usually cover the Women's 1s matches, I don't get the opportunity to watch the Women's 2s play very often, so I don't know who all the players are by sight. I generally try and use shirt numbers as a guide to identifying and remembering which player is which, yet that didn't help me when I couldn't remember where I'd put my front door key when I was ready to leave home.

I knew shirt numbers 11, 12 and 14 (don't blame me if they are not included in next week's winning lottery numbers) and had started to memorise some of the other players in the squad.

In last week's match report, I forgot to clarify which Josie scored Surbiton's second goal, so I can confirm it was Josie H, or at least that was my initial reaction.

As last week, the floodlights were needed under overcast skies, with Wimbledon forcing a penalty corner after just 30 seconds. Although they didn't convert, the warning signs were there and in the sixth minute, I kept up my record of the opposition scoring the first goal, the ball ending up in the roof of the net before the visiting players waltzed back to the centre line for the restart.

Wimbledon still led at the end of the first quarter, but the Women's 2s levelled in the 20th minute, a defence splitting pass finding Cecily on the right before a pass to the left was dispatched into the net by Amie, who'd also scored when the teams first met back in October.

Six minutes before half time, Wimbledon restored their lead, this time from their second penalty corner, with what looked like a manoeuvred routine from which practice made perfect.

The Women's 2s still trailed 2-1 going into the fourth quarter, but after last week's individual goal of the second half of the season contender, the equaliser came from the team category as Captain Lilie started a move on the cusp of her own circle; found Issy in space before another perfect pass found Cecily who turned from goal provider to goal scorer, eluding the Wimbledon goalkeeper and smacking the ball against the backboard to make the score 2-2.

And just as in October, when Surbiton had come from 2-0 down, the teams couldn't be separated in a 2-2 draw.

With six games remaining, Surbiton are fourth, four points behind leaders Barnes. Barnes drew 0-0 with Guildford, who drew 0-0 for the second week running. Exeter University, who also drew 0-0 last week, closed the gap on Barnes to a point with a 3-1 home win over Slough. Guildford stay one point ahead of Surbiton in third.

There is no match next week as it is a designated cup week, but the Women's 2s host Sevenoaks on 22 February at 1430. Sevenoaks are eighth, three points ahead of ninth-placed Slough, and are in danger of relegation after rivals Bristol Firebrands have picked up seven points in their last three games to move a point above Sevenoaks.

The game versus Wimbledon can be watched back via the Surbiton Hockey Club channel on You Tube here.