Surbiton Ladies 4 Woking Ladies 1

Surbiton Ladies need 14 points from their final seven games to make sure of promotion to the England Hockey League for the first time in their history, after rivals Reading 1A, Southampton and Epsom all failed to win on Saturday.

Woking came to Sugden Road in ninth place in South Clubs’ Women’s Hockey League Division One. Following an early scare, when Maddie Tait shot wide in the second minute, they fell behind three minutes later, when Sian Craze was on hand to score from a rebound, after Ally Black had initially saved from an Emma Jones penalty corner strike.

In the 14th minute, Lucy Clacher scored her maiden goal for the first team, finishing off a passing move involving Eleanor Jolly, Kelly Taylor and Helen Grant to double Surbiton’s lead.

Nine minutes later, Emma Broad also scored her first goal, having only made her debut at Rover Oxford the previous Saturday.

Victoria Heptonstall and Minnie James set up the scoring chance, which Broad confidently put away.

With Grant scoring Surbiton’s fourth goal in the 27th minut to give the hosts a 4-0 half-time lead, it seemed that the league leaders were on course for a second successive large victory.

Woking had other ideas, and adjusted their second half tactics in an effort to minimize the damage to their negative goal difference. Immediately after half-time, Surbiton lost concentration; and although they gradually found some rhythm as the second half progressed, were unable to add to their first half tally. The closest that Surbiton came to extending their lead was when James clipped the left post in the 48th minute, but Black also made some excellent glove saves.

Surbiton goalkeeper, Jeanne Heunis adequately dealt with Woking’s attacks but, shortly after a fine double save, was eventually beaten in the 62nd minute, Paula Nicholas converting the visitors’ third penalty corner to make the final score 4-1.

Surbiton now lead by six points over Reading 1A, who were held 2-2 at Southampton. Surbiton have 31 points from 11 games, and of the teams eligible for promotion, Southampton can attain the highest maximum points total, 44, if they win their eight remaining games. Thirteen points should be enough to clinch promotion as Surbiton have a goal difference of plus 40, compared with Southampton’s plus 10.

On Saturday (February 13), Surbiton travel the short distance to play Epsom, now in seventh place after a 4-1 defeat at Havant, who leapt up to third. Push back at Epsom College is at 11.30am.

SURBITON LADIES: Heunis (GK & capt); Philp, Jenkins, Heptonstall, Jolly, Taylor, Grant, Broad, Jones, Tait, Craze.

Subs: Clacher, Hanson-Akins, Holmes, James, Royce