EHL Hockey League Week 11 2022 Matchday Review

Travelling away to Sugden Road and Sonning Lane, Clifton Robinsons and Loughborough Students were fighting for the wins that would see them play top six hockey in the new year  but it was the home sides who commanded the play. Surbiton ran out comfortable winners, chalking up five goals against a travelling Clifton side, with a brace from Hannah Martin (24-PC, 63) and goals from Giselle Ansley (31-PS), Darcy Bourne (43) and Sophie Hamilton (70). At Sonning Lane, Reading took a 2-0 lead into the halftime break, thanks to Phoebe Nixon (22) & Tess Hannah (26). Despite a lot of second-half attacking play from Loughborough and an adrenaline boost when Lorna MacKenzie (42) found the net for the Students, Reading held on for the win. The win saw the Berkshire club climb above their opponents in the league but fall just one point short of Clifton Robinsons in sixth place.

Wimbledon remain the only unbeaten side in the Vitality Women's Hockey Premier Division after they welcomed the University of Nottingham to South West London for the first time with a 3-1 victory. A Fiona Burnet double (3, 61) either side of Wimbledon top scorer Megan Crowson (28), and Nottingham's Miranda Jackson (29) secured all the points for the hosts.

East Grinstead - who narrowly lost against Wimbledon last week - had a far more comfortable fixture when they returned home to East Sussex and welcomed Buckingham to Saint Hill. Sophie Bray (3-PC, 19, 47, 56-PC) was at her best, netting four goals in a 5-1 victory; Pippa Lock (45) was also on the scoresheet for the home side, whilst Megan Lewis-Williams scored the visitors' goal.

Having secured top six status last weekend, Beeston welcomed an in-form Hampstead & Westminster side to the Nottingham Hockey Centre. It wasn't long before the away side were 1-0 up, with Scotland's international captain Sarah Robertson opening the scoring in the 7th minute. Lauren Turner doubled the lead for Hampstead in the 21st before Grace Balsdon rounded off the scoring with a trademark penalty corner in the 61st.

Holcombe headed north to the second city to face the University of Birmingham, knowing they would need to produce a solid performance to maintain their unbeaten run in Birmingham. Struggling for form of late, with a whole host of new players, Holcombe took the lead through Catherine Ledesma in the 15th minute to give the visitors added belief and confidence going forward. However, it wasn't to last as Millie Giglio equalised for the hosts in the 26th minute before putting her side ahead with a 60th-minute penalty corner. With the game opening up and flowing end to end, Holcombe were rewarded with a penalty corner of their own in the 68th minute, after some clever attacking play. Emma Bandurak fired home to draw her side level and ensure the Kent side maintained their undefeated status in Birmingham.

It was goals galore in the Men's Premier Division week as Wimbledon equalled records for the most amount of goals by a single team in a match, as they hit 12 past the University of Nottingham. With Ed Horler opening the scoring in the first minute before adding a second and third, Nottingham truly had their backs to the wall throughout. Sam Hooper scored a hat-trick of penalty corner goals, whilst Jules Boumac hit a brace, and Jack Turner, Peter Scott, Ben Hooper and Johnny Sturch-Hibbitt were also on the scoresheet. Archie Foster scored a consolation goal late on for Nottingham to deny James Bailey a clean sheet.

Holcombe secured their biggest win of the season so far when the University of Exeter travelled to Kent. Hitting seven goals for the second successive game against these opponents, Holcombe were clinical in front of the goal from the outset. Tim Guise-Brown scored the first of his penalty corner brace in the seventh minute, Barry Middleton was on the scoresheet for the first time this season, scoring Holcombe's second, before Rob Field and Nick Bandurak added to the scoreline before the half-time break. The second half continued in a similar fashion, with Tom Russell extending the lead in the 56th minute before Guise-Brown added his second. As the seconds ran down in the final minute, Billy Collins fired past Ollie Payne to deny Holcombe a clean sheet. Hayden Phillips responded immediately, scoring Holcombe's seventh of the game seconds later.

Reading and Hampstead & Westminster rekindled one of the longest-running fixtures in the English Hockey Leagues as the two sides met at Sonning Lane. Going into the game, Reading knew that a top-six finish was still in their hands, as they came charging out of the block and raced into a 2-0 first-quarter lead through Daniel Cox (9) and Edward Evans (14), Joe Hillyer pulling one back just before the break for the visitors. The second quarter went the way of Hampstead as Sam French pulled his side level, scoring the only goal of the quarter. 2-2 at halftime, Reading had all to play for in the second half; Josh Kelly, however, had his side in the lead in the 41st minute as Reading's hopes of a top six place started to fade. Upping the ante and throwing everything forward, Reading equalised through Dan Cox with six minutes remaining. Reading countered Hampstead's attacks until a final-minute lapse in concentration was punished with the award of a penalty corner to Hampstead. Sam French stepped up and did what he does so often, firing past the opposition keeper. This time it was Chris Wyver in the Reading goal who had little to stop French from securing an away win and leaving Reading's hopes in the hands of Surbiton, who were hosting Beeston at Sonning Lane.

With Reading losing to Hampstead, the tables had turned, and the top 6 position was now in the hands of Beeston. A win, and they make the top tier for Phase 2; anything else and Reading finishes in sixth position.

Meeting Surbiton for the 33rd time in the league, Beeston knew that winning for just the second time at Sugden Road would be a tough ask. Alex Williams (12) opened the scoring in what would be the only goal in a tight first half before Mark Pearn changed things around and gave his charges a renewed impetus for the second half. With three unanswered penalty corner goals, Surbiton raced into a 4-0 lead with Luke Taylor (43, 59) and Gareth Furlong (53) on the scoresheet before Tim Nurse (62) added a fifth. Beeston's Henry Croft added a late consolation goal from the penalty spot as his side suffered a 5-1 defeat and handed top six hockey to Reading on their first season back in the Premier Division.

Old Georgians were also in a rich vein of form when they welcomed Brooklands Manchester University to St George's College. Scoring six goals or more for the fourth time this season, Old Georgians are the team to beat, currently sitting at the top of all the charts, League, Top Goal Scorers and Golden Glove. Brooklands, who have had a tough season, had very little to stop the Sam Ward-inspired roaring Dragons. With Chris Proctor opening the scoring in the seventh minute, the match turned into the Sam Ward show as the England & GB hitman fired four past the Brooklands keeper, either side of Tom Carson's goal for the home side. Brooklands had a moment to cheer for themselves as Michael Parnham and David Flanagan found a way to beat George Pinner in the Old Georgians net.

Oxted will undoubtedly be the most frustrated side in the Premier Division this week as they let a top six finish slip out of their hands.

In the 'match of the week', Oxted needed a win in their derby game Vs East Grinstead, who had lost all of their away matches this season. Struggling for form, East Grinstead had rallied hard for one final push before the season break and were rewarded just before halftime when Luke Mobley and Fin Boothroyd both scored within a minute to give the visitors a 2-0 halftime lead. Rob Murrage fired up his side with a 56th-minute penalty corner goal to give Oxted hope. However, East Grinstead were not in the mood to have their day ruined yet again and secured all three points and the bragging rights when Boothroyd added his second and East Grinstead's third.