Tindall saves Surbiton in 10 goal thriller

by Patrick Rowley (10.10.2009)

Two late goals by England striker James Tindall saved Surbiton, the England League leaders, from their first defeat of the season as they shared ten goals with East Grinstead at Saint Hill last night.

Both sides led twice in a thrilling game before Tindall’s open play goals in the 61st and 69th minutes.

Another England striker Matt Daly scored Surbiton’s first two goals to take his season’s tally to nine in four matches. Mark Pearn and Ben Payne each picked up a brace for East Grinstead.

With Reading at the European League in Barcelona, only four men’s premier matches were played. Three resulted in draws. The only victors were Hampstead who won 3-1 at Exeter University.

Crista Cullen, the Great Britain defender, scored with a superb strike in her first game after returning from Africa, and set up her club
Leicester to beat champions Bowdon Hightown 4-1 in their England Women’s League match at Bowdon.

Leicester’s emphatic win took them two points clear in the premier division after four matches and saw Bowdon suffer their third defeat in four.

Cullen scored in open play immediately after Fay Nash had given Bowdon an early lead.

Another international Rebecca Herbert scored a second for Leicester in the first half. Emma Clarke and Lucy Brown added second half goals.

Olton, joint leaders overnight, dropped their first points in a 1-1 draw at Slough. With the bare mimimum 11 players because of injuries,
Olton were relieved that Slough’s shooting was so poor.

Birmingham University and Reading, the two promoted clubs, both recorded their third wins. Birmingham, with a hat-trick by Liz George,
won 5-1 at Clifton while Reading beat Trojans 2-1.

Copy for Sunday Express, 10 Oct 09