Surbiton’s first teams had mixed fortunes in their league clashes at Holcombe. Surbiton Ladies, missing several international players for the first time this season, lost their unbeaten Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division record, Candice Manuel scoring with eight minutes remaining to give Holcombe a 1-0 win and reduce Surbiton’s lead to three points.

Surbiton gave league debuts to Hannah Denison, Alice Klugman and Welsh international, Emily Rowlands.

Surbiton Men recorded their first ever victory at Holcombe Park in style, winning 6-1 to maintain their narrow lead over second placed Hampstead & Westminster at the top of the Men’s Hockey League Premier Division.

Holcombe took the lead after just 34 seconds, Nick Bandurak scoring his twelfth league goal of the season. Tom Sorsby equalised for Surbiton in the twelfth minute with his first league goal for the club. Alan Forsyth gave Surbiton the lead for the first time from a penalty stroke in the 23rd minute and further strikes from David Goodfield on the half hour and Forsyth a minute before the interval saw Surbiton carry a 4-1 advantage into the second half.

Forsyth further extended Surbiton’s lead in the 43rd minute with a penalty corner conversion before completing the scoring with fifteen minutes to play with his fourth goal of the match and sixteenth of the league campaign.

Surbiton Ladies bounced back from their Holcombe defeat to start the defence of their England Hockey Women’s Tier One Championship title with a 5-1 win at fellow IWHL Premier Division team, Slough.

Surbiton gave youngsters Zoe Allchurch, Freya Gladstone and Fifi Robinson their first team debuts and led 4-1 at half time, Georgie Twigg scoring in the second minute, Emily Atkinson and Susie Catlin scoring in the 21st and 30th minutes respectively, all from penalty corners and Stephanie Addison scoring the fourth from open play in the 32nd minute, Katie Jurdon replying for Slough. Hannah Denison added a fifth in the penultimate minute.

Both teams play the bottom teams in their division this weekend, Surbiton Ladies travelling to Canterbury on Saturday and the Men to Sevenoaks on Sunday, both matches starting at 2 pm.