W1 Make Solid Start To Super 6s Campaign
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Women are one of four teams to win both matches on the opening day of the Super 6s Premier Division at Repton School.
Surbiton are top of the embryonic league table on goal difference from Sutton Coldfield, Harleston Magpies and reigning champions, East Grinstead as the top flight of English indoor hockey begins to take shape. Surbiton beat Beeston 8-1 and Holcombe 8-4.
Results, scorers and team line-ups can be found at the England Hockey Altius website here
Surbiton were the last team to begin their Premier Division campaign in Derbyshire and met Beeston, who were promoted from Division One in 2025. Beeston had lost 6-0 to Sutton Coldfield in their opening game, conceding three goals in two minutes at one point.
Beeston had a nightmare start as Izzy Petter scored for Surbiton in the first minute and found themselves trailing 3-0 after just four minutes as former Bees player Erica Sanders scored twice from open play.
3-0 was also the half time score, but a goal from Josie Hippe and a hat-trick clinching goal at the end of the third quarter from Sanders left Beeston 5-0 in arrears.
Isy Key added Surbiton's sixth goal two minutes into the final quarter before Sophie Robinson broke Beeston's duck in the Premier Division from open play. Sanders haunted her former club with goals in the 38th and 39th minutes, the last goal coming from a penalty corner to complete the 8-1 victory.
Sanders was also in sublime goalscoring form in the final fixture of the day against Holcombe, giving Surbiton a fourth minute lead. Sanders doubled her side's lead from a 13th minute penalty corner, but Holcombe responded from their own set-piece a minute later to reduce the deficit to 2-1. Hippe and Key scored in the 18th and 19th minutes to enable Surbiton to turn round at half time with a 4-1 advantage.
Younger scored a second goal for Holcombe three minutes from the end of the third quarter, but Sanders was on hand with a 30th minute penalty stroke to ensure Surbiton took a three goal lead into the fourth quarter.
The final period proved to be a goal fest, Claudia Swain, who played outdoor hockey for Barnes in Stage 1 of the England Hockey League and had previously played indoor hockey for Repton netting in the 34th minute with Sanders, who also previously played for Repton, collecting her fourth goal of the match a minute later from a penalty corner.
Katie Southorn gave Surbiton a commanding 8-2 lead, but Holcombe made a mini comeback in the final minutes, Laylaa Davids scoring in the 38th minute and Tilly Tillings scoring the Kent club's fourth goal in the final minute to ensure that they followed up a 7-5 defeat to East Grinstead with an 8-4 loss.
On Sunday, Surbiton and East Grinstead will defend their one hundred per cent records at 1000. East Grinstead beat Buckingham 4-3 in their second match. The rematch of the last two Super 6s finals will also see the joint top scorers after day one face each other as Sanders and East Grinstead's Biba Mills have both scored nine goals.
Then at 1500, Surbiton face Sutton Coldfield, who beat Slough 5-2 in their second match. Sally Walton, who previously played for Bowdon Hightown, Repton and Buckingham, is in the Sutton Coldfield squad.