Super 6s Preview: Surbiton v East Grinstead

Two giants of the English indoor game meet in the first men’s semi-final during the 2022 Super 6s Finals Day at the Copper Box Arena on Sunday 30 January.

Two-time winners and defending champions Surbiton will face an East Grinstead side who have won 14 championships in their illustrious history. Who will come out on top?

Road to the Copper Box

Surbiton began the defence of their Super 6s title by putting out a statement of intent as they beat Reading 12-1 in their opening game of the Men’s Premier Division. They reached double figures on two other occasions in the group, finding the net 61 times in their eight matches – the next highest scorers were Wimbledon on 46. They also boasted the meanest defence too and won seven of their matches to book their place at yet another Finals Day.

East Grinstead were involved in several closely fought games in the Premier Division, beginning with a gripping 7-6 victory over Holcombe. They won five of their eight games, with two victories in their final two fixtures sealing their spot at the Copper Box. Their last match saw them hit the heights of double figures as they beat Brooklands MU 11-5 to head into the showpiece event on a very high note.

Super 6s history

East Grinstead have won a total of 14 national indoor titles, more than any other men’s team and only equalled by Slough’s women. Much of that dominance has come in the last decade or so; between 2009 and 2019 they only failed to lift the trophy on one occasion.

That was when Surbiton’s men famously beat them in the 2017 final to win their first indoor title. They have since made three more Finals Day appearances, losing in the semi-finals in 2018 before East Grinstead beat them on a shootout in the final the following year. They gained their revenge in 2020 though, beating Holcombe 3-2 in a tense and gripping final.

Head-to-head

These two clubs have developed an exciting rivalry in recent years, with this being their eighth meeting since the indoor competition reverted back to six-a-side.

In total, Surbiton have won four of those meetings with East Grinstead emerging victors on three occasions and the other seeing them draw 4-4 in the 2016/17 Premier Division.

At Finals Days, East Grinstead have the upper hand having beaten Surbiton in the 2018 semi-finals before defeating them via a shootout in the 2019 final, although the south-west Londoners did beat the side from Sussex to win their first title in 2017.

Surbiton will feel as though they have the upper hand after beating East Grinstead in this year’s Premier Division but they know that result will count for nothing come this Sunday.

Players to watch

Two teams bristling with experience and skill, pretty much every player will be one to watch! Scottish international Jamie Golden was on fire during the Premier Division, finishing as the league’s top scorer with 20 goals, while Arjan Drayton-Chana bagged 11. Ore Ogunlana was almost unbeatable in goal back in 2020 while experienced internationals Luke Taylor, Tom Sorsby, Zach Wallace, Brendan Creed, David Goodfield, James Gall and Gareth Furlong could feature.

South African Jarryd Jones will add plenty of attacking nous and experience to East Grinstead’s line-up having featured at two Indoor World Cups alongside goalkeeper Richard Curtis. Jone finished as East Grinstead’s joint-top scorer in the Premier Division with eight goals alongside Kyle White and Scottish international Ross Stott, while Dan Faulkner and Niall Stott scored six apiece.