SURBITON GO INTO INDOOR SEASON AHEAD IN BOTH THEIR OUTDOOR LEAGUES

by Seán Cotter (4.12. 2009)

Surbiton Ladies make their first foray into indoor hockey this Saturday (5 December) when they travel to The Edge Leisure Centre, Haslemere, to play in the South Indoor Pool A Qualifier.

The following weekend the club’s Men make their return to the National Indoor Premier Division for the first time in five seasons at the opening weekend of fixtures at the Fleming Park Leisure Centre in Eastleigh (12/13 December).

Last weekend victories for both kept Surbiton ladies’ and men’s outdoor first XIs top of their respective leagues going into the outdoor winter break.

On Saturday morning (28 November) the ladies won 4-1 away at Oxford Hawks to stay six points clear of their nearest first team rivals for the one promotion spot from the South Clubs’ Women’s Hockey League Division One into the national Conference.

Their goals came from Sian Craze in open play followed by a hat-trick of penalty corners from Emma Jones before Oxford Hawks scored a consolation penalty corner.

The league resumes on 30 January, when Surbiton start with two fixtures against the bottom two teams: Rover Oxford away on 30 January and Woking at home on 6 February.

The men’s first XI had to overcome appalling weather conditions in beating Hampstead & Westminster 2-1 at Sugden Road on Sunday afternoon (29 November).

The start was delayed by half an hour and the players had to go off for 50 minutes as the pitch flooded again five minutes into the second half.

By then all the goals had been scored with Sam Middleton giving Surbiton the lead on 21 minutes, Hampstead equalising a minute later and Matt Daly hitting what proved to be the winner two minutes before half time.

Surbiton might have ended up even further ahead in the table but for Reading scoring their 4-3 home winner over bottom of the table University of Exeter two minutes from time. However, third-placed East Grinstead lost 1-2 at second-bottom Brooklands MU to drop another three points on the two leaders.

The 10-team elite National Premier Division resumes on 7 February with Surbiton still two points clear of Reading and now ten points ahead of third-placed East Grinstead.

Report from “Surrey Comet” for 04 December 2009