W1 Have Six Point Lead After 5-1 Win Over Hampstead
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Women extended their lead at the top of the Women's Hockey League Premier Division Top Six to six points after they resumed their league campaign with a 5-1 home win over nearest rivals Hampstead & Westminster on Saturday afternoon.
East Grinstead dropped to seven points behind Surbiton after they were beaten 4-0 at Wimbledon, whilst Durham University in their maiden season in the top flight, defeated reigning champions Reading to close within three points of their visitors.
In pleasant sunny conditions, after Erica Sanders had gone close in the fifth minute, Surbiton forced a series of penalty corners to test the Hampstead defence.
Surbiton were unlucky not to open the scoring from their first award, Amy Costello's drag-flick forced up in the air by Miriam Pritchard's save, only for Maddie Axford's subsequent touch in at the left post to be ruled out because the umpire blew for a penalty corner before the ball crossed the goal-line.
As things turned out, both Axford and Surbiton were destined to receive justice before the half time interval, Amy Costello smashing the ball against the backboard after another Pritchard save in the tenth minute to give Surbiton the lead they should have had a minute earlier.
Nine minutes later, Hampstead drew level from their only penalty corner of the match. Olivia Hamilton joining Holly Hunt as the visitors' top scorer on five goals, Surbiton goalkeeper, Ayeisha McFerran, returning from injury, wrongfooted by a cruel defensive deflection to her right. Olivia had also scored Hampstead's goal in the first meeting at Paddington Recreation Ground in November when Darcy Bourne and Costello had earned a 2-1 win for Surbiton.
Surbiton's lead was restored in the 26th minute from their eighth penalty corner, Sophie Hamilton converting to level up family honours.
Three minutes before half time, Axford finally got her name on the scoresheet with a deft deflection past Pritchard, from Giselle Ansley's drag-flick.
After a multitude of penalty corner goals, both goals after half time came from open play as Surbiton put together some excellent passing moves.
Sophie Hamilton gave Surbiton a 4-1 lead in the 52nd minute, just before the end of the third quarter as Issy Yonge crossed from the right for Hamilton to score.
And then in the 58th minute, Ella Burnley completed the scoring with an excellent strike as Surbiton earned their biggest ever victory over Hampstead, surpassing the 4-1 win at Sugden Road on 6 April 2024 in Pool A of the qualifiers for the Premier Division Finals.
Elsewhere, Sarah Jones scored in the first minute to set Wimbledon on course for their 4-0 win over East Grinstead. Anna Toman converted a third minute penalty corner with the West Sussex club conceding twice in the last ten minutes, Becky Manton scoring in the 63rd minute and Flora Fletcher in the 67th, both goals also coming from penalty corners.
Reading, Surbiton's opponents on Sunday at 1630, went 1-0 down at Durham University after Evelyn Wilson scored from the penalty spot and the win was sealed three minutes from time when Darcy Littlefield scored from open play.
In the Lower Six, where the top two teams will join the Top Six in the Premier Division Finals qualifiers, Loughborough lead the University of Birmingham by three points having played a game more after they beat Bowdon 3-0 at home. Amy Cradden scored a penalty stroke in the 24th minute with Niamh McIvor notching a brace with open play goals in the 51st and 58th minutes.
Birmingham beat Barnes 5-0, Hannah Pearce's eleventh minute penalty corner followed by Sarah Kirgan's open play effort five minutes later. Coca Hall scored from open play in the 29th minute as Birmingham led 3-0 at the halfway point. Lottie Bingham scored twice in the 45th and 58th minutes from open play to complete the clinical victory.
The result between the University of Nottingham and Clifton Robinsons is to be confirmed as the result has been recorded as a 1-0 win for the Bristol club, after Evie Grindal scored for the second successive week away from home, but Freya Robinson has been credited with a 64th minute penalty corner conversion.