W1 Beat Loughborough 2-0 To Qualify For Premier Division Finals
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Women sealed their place at the Premier Division Finals to be held at Sugden Road on 2/3 May after their 2-0 home win with Loughborough Students earned them their second win in Pool B.
Wimbledon also booked their place with a dramatic 2-1 win over Reading which ends the reigning champions' title defence.
Surbiton put the Loughborough defence under pressure early in the game with Maddie Axford, Ellie Mackenzie and Alice Sharp all having shots on goal from open play.
Loughborough Students goalkeeper Molly Smith made some excellent saves throughout the match, but was finally beaten in the 21st minute when Axford got a vital touch at the right post to open the scoring.
Surbiton's dominance was illustrated by forcing eighteen penalty corners in the match, and in the 41st minute, they thought that the sixth award was successful after Giselle Ansley smashed the ball into the net from the right of the circle, but after an umpire consultation, the goal was disallowed.
Surbiton's insurance goal came in the 52nd minute from their tenth penalty corner, this time Georgie Gardens got the final touch to Axford's shot towards goal.
Two minutes later, Smith was Loughborough's heroine again as she denied Surbiton a third goal, saving Erica Sanders' penalty stroke.
Ayeisha McFerran wasn't going to be denied a clean sheet for the second day running after Annie Wilson scored with two minutes remaining for Reading on Saturday and she stood watching at the far end as the match concluded with a series of penalty corners in added on time before the ball was finally cleared out of the circle.
Becky Manton and Flo Fletcher earned Wimbledon their 2-1 win over Reading with two goals scored in the final minute by Fletcher and Reading's Lizzie Neal to ensure Wimbledon will join Surbiton in the last four on May 2/3.
In Pool B, East Grinstead's qualification hopes were ended by a second successive 3-2 home defeat, this time to Durham University. East Grinstead led 2-1 thanks to two goals from Millie Giglio, but Lizzy Pocknell scored a brace to add to Scarlett Spavin's opener at Saint Hill.
Durham will host the University of Birmingham to decide who qualifies with Hampstead & Westminster. Catherine Ledesma scored twice, either side of Olivia Hamilton's strike to give the hosts a 3-0 home win, all three Hampstead goals coming from penalty corners.