SHC Snails WO45s 1 - 1 Ashford (Middx) WO45s (H)

Sunday morning’s torrential rain had given way to clearing skies by the 1pm push back, but the atmosphere at Manor Road remained charged as Surbiton Snails met top of the table Ashford in a contest that carried all the theatre of a Winter Olympic showdown.

Adding to the Olympic narrative was the welcome return and continuing rehabilitation of several Snails from injury. Strapped and supported with enough tape to rival a downhill racer from United States, they showed courage and commitment, continuing their steady recoveries while contributing meaningfully to the task at hand.

From the opening exchanges, Ashford appeared eager to demonstrate not only their hockey credentials but perhaps their umpire accreditation too - many offering plenty of early “guidance” to the officials from the first whistle. The Snails, however, chose a more classical Olympic approach: let the performance speak. And speak it did.

Surbiton began with flowing, authoritative hockey, building patiently from the back. Crisp passes threaded from defence through midfield and into attack, using every inch of space, width and angle the slick surface allowed. It was elegant, composed, and purposeful.

Wave after wave of early pressure forced Ashford deep into their own half. Shots rang out in quick succession, each one testing the Ashford goalkeeper, who stood resolute amid the onslaught. Time and again she denied the Snails’ penalty corners and the opening goal, keeping the scoreboard stubbornly blank despite Surbiton’s dominance.

Then, in a moment that felt lifted from the drama of the Winter Olympic Games, the narrative twisted. Against the run of play, Ashford broke swiftly. A single incisive pass sliced beyond the usually impenetrable Silke. So often Surbiton’s last line of icy defiance, she could not quite shut the door as her vision was impeded, the shot crept past her reach and into the net.

It was a stark reminder of the fine margins that define elite competition. One break. One chance. One goal. Yet the Snails remained composed, their belief unshaken. If the first act had shown their quality, the response promised the resilience and unity that define true winter warriors.

Missing from the sideline was the familiar presence of Coach Spuggie, but there was no vacuum of leadership. Stepping confidently into the breach was Ms Draper Jr, who marshalled and rotated the Senior Snails with composure and authority far beyond her years. Substitutions were sharp, instructions clear - the bench ran with the precision of an Olympic technical area.

Despite dominating possession and territory after conceding against the run of play, Surbiton went into the break 1-0 down. The scoreboard, like so often in elite competition, told only part of the story.

What followed at half time was less team talk, more rallying cry. Captain Sinead gathered the Snails, revised penalty corner tactics and delivered inspirational words. Whatever was said worked. They returned to the pitch with renewed fire. The second half began at blistering pace. From the very first push back, Jo F sent the ball hurtling forward with the velocity of an ice hockey puck. It was a statement of intent.

Ashford meanwhile, seemed increasingly convinced they were contesting an ice hockey qualifier rather than a field hockey match, bringing a level of physicality that would not have looked out of place on a frozen rink. Shoulders clashed, sticks tangled, and the tempo rose. Yet the Snails’ resilience was written not just in tactics but in sacrifice. Attacks were crafted beautifully, only to be thwarted by improbable blocks - Sinead’s recovering calf intervening heroically, Val’s kneecap deflecting danger, and Jo F’s “drinking arm” proving unexpectedly indispensable in open play. Who needed unbruised limbs when belief was intact?

Laser-focused and undeterred, Surbiton pressed relentlessly. There was even a moment of unintended artillery when Val, perhaps unconvinced by her teammates’ positioning, launched a towering aerial from the sideline that sailed spectacularly backwards over the safety fence, scattering the hardy spectators who had braved the chill. Bit rude!

The clock ticked down, tension tightening like straps before a downhill run. With time slipping away and the Snails still trailing, belief never wavered. The equaliser, when it came, was born not of panic but of precision.

It began deep in defence - Fee, Bex and Struthy combining with composure under pressure. Calm sticks, sharp vision. They worked the ball out with authority, firing it forward with purpose and pace. The pass found Ruth, beautifully positioned on the P spot, poised like a biathlete steadying for the perfect shot. With a deft touch and awareness beyond the chaos around her, she laid it into Anna’s path. What followed was pure class. Anna’s finish was controlled, elegant, decisive - the kind of strike that deserves a slow-motion replay. The net rippled, and the long-awaited equaliser was secured.

The Surbiton cheers erupted with the force of a stadium crowd that could probably be heard in the next county and certainly above the unmistakable blast of Wendy’s hooter, which had been giving alpine cowbells a serious run for their money all afternoon. Its rallying call had echoed across the pitch from first push back to final whistle.

The physical edge resurfaced when Val stood her ground against the most imposing Ashford player on the pitch. A double-handed shove followed, drawing the umpire’s whistle and a green card for the visitor. 

Order restored, and with it, further fuel to the Snails’ fire, however with only a few moments left, the final whistle denied any further attack on goal. It confirmed a hard-fought 1–1 draw.

On a day that began with storms and tested every sinew, Surbiton Snails proved once more that winter warriors are not made by conditions, but by character.

The rain that had battered the pitch before push back left its legacy long after the clouds cleared. The surface shimmered deceptively underfoot - less hockey turf, more Olympic ice rink. For most, footing was cautious and calculated. For a select few, however, it became an opportunity to debut their own solo ice dance routines.

Yes Mandy. Yes Dawn. And especially Claire. Away from the ball and entirely unassisted, each executed gravity-defying moves. Claire, in particular, committed fully to the choreography, earning herself the coveted double accolade of DoD and in a twist of administrative brilliance, the responsibility of documenting it all in this match report. A true all-round contribution.

When the final acknowledgements were made, Player of the Match was deservedly awarded to an outstanding Kirsteen. Tireless, composed and influential throughout, she embodied the Snails’ resilience - reading the play superbly, driving momentum forward, and holding firm when it mattered most.

So it ended 1–1: a contest of flowing hockey, formidable physicality, unexpected ice dancing, and unwavering team spirit. Mention must also be made of Mandy, the relentless powerhouse and Jo M supporting in attack, in fact the entire team for relentless effort and dogged resilience. Ashford remain top of the table with Snails a close second on equal points but having played one less game.  A lot more actually happened in the game. I’ve given you a flavour and if you want more detail… press the red button.