SURBITON TAKE A REST BUT THEIR INTERNATIONALS ARE KEPT BUSY

by Seán Cotter 30 October 2009

Surbiton men’s 1st XI are not in action this weekend (Saturday 31 October/Sunday 1 November) with the national league taking a break and their team being one of four national premier division clubs not to have entered the England Hockey Cup this season.

The latter competition reaches its third round (last 16) stage on Sunday with all six of the competing premier division clubs having survived their entry at the second round stage on 4 October.

However, two “catch-up” league fixtures involving teams who competed in the EuroLeague earlier in October take place on Saturday which could result in Surbiton losing their position at the top of the league if Reading at least draw their game away to Beeston.

Despite the lack of league or cup action this weekend, Surbiton’s internationals have been kept busy in the weekdays both before and after it.

US international Andy Sheridan is playing in a four-game series against Canada at the University of British Columbia this week (28, 29, 31 October and 1 November) after being selected in the squad that travels out to Argentina to play in the third of three Men’s World Cup Qualifiers from 14-22 November (full details: www.usfieldhockey.com).

Scottish international goalkeeper Allan Dick has not been available for selection all October while away playing internationals and has been chosen for the squad that competes in the second qualifier in New Zealand from 7 to 15 November (full details: www.scottish-hockey.org.uk).

Meantime Surbiton’s five England European Cup gold medallists are in contention for places in the soon-to-be-announced 18-man squad for the six-nation Champions Trophy being held in Melbourne from 28 November to 6 December. Three of them – Richard Alexander, Ben Hawes and James Tindall – were in the squad that played two non-capped performance unit friendlies against France in Lille this Tuesday and Wednesday (28 and 29 October).

The two not there – Matt Daly (injured) and Rob Moore (rested) – could also be in the squad selected to play in two final performance unit home friendlies against Ireland next week (4 and 5 November) (full details: www.hockey.ie).

But it was a former England U21 international who did not go on to get a full cap, co-captain Tim Pinnock, who was the hero last Saturday, racing to joint leader of the EHL national premier division goalscoring chart to keep his side top of the league as he bagged his second four-goal haul in successive weeks.

Victims of his precision dragflicking on a cold Saturday evening in the East midlands were Loughborough Students as Pinnock flashed each of his first four attempts past Great Britain’s current number one keeper Ali McGregor.

It put him level on 10 goals (four of them from open play) with East Grinstead’s Gareth Carr, signed from Weybridge-based Conference West side Old Georgians in the close season, all of whose goals have come from penalty corners.

It also put him one ahead of team mate and normal first set piece striker Matt Daly, who had notched nine penalty corner conversions in Surbiton’s first four fixtures before missing the latest two with injury.

Pinnock’s goals this week came in the 2nd, 10th, 35th and 42nd minutes, the last to put his side 4-1 up after Loughborough’s Nick Catlin had pulled one back from open play in the 38th minute.

However, he failed to make it a perfect five from five when his final attempt flew just high and wide right in the 51st minute and then saw Catlin finally convert the home team’s fourth and last corner of the game seven minutes from the end.

In the first half Surbiton’s Alberto Esteban Valazquez had his 11th-minute stroke saved by McGregor and Richard Smith shuddered the left post from Loughborough’s only penalty corner of the half a minute before Pinnock scored his third on the stroke of half time.

The win leapfrogged Surbiton back one point ahead of Reading, who had won 6-2 at Cannock earlier in the day.

Preview from www.surbitonhc.com plus report from “Surrey Comet” and “Surrey Advertiser Elmbridge Edition” 30 October 2009