Having gone undefeated in their first 10 elite England Hockey League National Premier Division fixtures, Surbiton lost their second successive game after the mid-season break, going down 4-1 to East Grinstead in front of a good crowd of 155 despite a cold, drizzly Sunday afternoon under the floodlights at Sugden Road.

Back available after the shock 4-3 defeat away to the University of Exeter the previous Sunday were Alberto Esteban Velasquez and James Tindall - the latter permitted to play by England ahead of travelling out with the World Cup squad, including his clubmates Richard Alexander, Matt Daly, Ben Hawes and Rob Moore, for the holding camp in Doha, Qatar.

Either Tindall or Reading’s Simon Mantell - both recovering from foot injuries - will be chosen for the final spot to move on to Delhi for the World Cup starting this Sunday.

However, former England and Great Britain international James Wallis was unavailable, but probably unfit anyrate after being one of three “walking wounded” playing at Exeter, together with Alejandro Iglesias Bibao and Andrew Sheridan.

Also unavailable from that squad was Ali Hitch.

Even with Tindall available, not only player-coach Karl Stagno, but six other of his second XI London Premier League table-topping squad (James Ashcroft, David Bartram, Nick Cooper, Will Fulker, Sam Middleton and Ben Tibble) had to turn out for first XI duty after playing (and winning 4-1) at Canterbury the previous afternoon.

Against these home depletions, the Sussex squad, as well as their one World Cup international Glenn Kirkham, were missing their precociously gifted 17-year-old Mats Grambusch, away with the German U21 squad, plus Danny Hall, not yet returned from a pre-Christmas suspension, plus Dominick Male injured indoors mid-season.

Neither side used a spare keeper, Surbiton playing with four outfield subs, but only using three, one as late as the 58th minute, while East Grinstead only brought three, but rotated them all regularly.

Surbiton, still second in England’s elite league with reigning champions East Grinstead back in fourth, 13 points in arrears (the two sides having drawn 5-5 at Saint Hill in the reverse fixture on Saturday, October 10) had the better of the first half.

But, with Surbiton’s upfield turnovers always making them vulnerable to breakaways, from one such EG first forced a 15th-minute penalty corner, from which Chris Bristow made a fine double save, and, then, another led to a cross from the left, which Ben Payne turned in on 19 minutes.

But, within a minute, Brett Garrard self-passed and ran a quick free hit into the circle, Richard Potton (excellent throughout) made a good stop from Ashcroft’s instant shot but Tim Pinnock, playing despite being hampered by a foot injury, crashed the ball back into the net to equalise and make honours even at half time.

However, three goals in nine minutes literally mid-way through the second half – between 13 minutes after the restart and 13 minutes before the end – killed off any Surbiton hopes of going on to victory.

After Pinnock had a 41st-minute penalty corner attempt run down, yet another turnover allowed EG’s by now dominant playmaker, coach and centre-half Mark Pearn, to run through and reverse stick past Bristow from the top right of the circle in the 48th minute.

Surbiton’s last chance of getting back into the game went when Pinnock had a second penalty corner attempt acrobatically turned over the bar by Potton in the 52nd minute.

Two more goals from turnovers finally put paid to Surbiton hopes, the first turned in by Dave De Prez on 56 minutes from a right-sided cross and the second resulting in a Gareth Carr penalty corner conversion a minute later.

The visitors had one penalty corner in each half, scoring in the second. Surbiton converted none out of two (both in the second half).

Each side was shown a second-half green card; there were no yellows.

Reading’s 3-2 home victory over Beeston put them four points ahead of Surbiton at the top of the table, while East Grinstead pulled within seven points into third place.

But the good news for the Surrey club was that Beeston’s loss kept them seven points behind (and now in fourth place), while Cannock’s 2-2 draw at Bowdon brought both those clubs only one point closer (still in fifth and sixth places respectively).

Surbiton’s aim now is to stay in the top five during the final six fixtures - starting this Sunday away in Nottingham to play Beeston, who they beat 6-4 in 18 October’s reverse fixture – and so qualify for the end-of-season Play-Offs for the National Championship and three EuroLeague places available with all their England players definitely back on board.