Hampstead & Westminster Ladies 3 Surbiton Ladies 2

Surbiton Ladies clinched promotion to the England Hockey League on Saturday, but not as they intended, losing their first South Clubs’ Women’s Hockey League match in almost two years at the same time as promotion rivals Southampton were going down 4-2 at home to Havant.

Surbiton fell behind in the fifth minute, Emma Stocking scoring from open play. Surbiton were back on level terms in the 18th minute, Helen Grant scoring her 17th goal of the season.

Four minutes later, Hampstead regained the lead, Rachel Crisp converting their first penalty corner of the game to leave Surbiton trailing 2-1 at the interval.

As when the teams met earlier in the season, Hampstead’s tactics generally frustrated Surbiton’s forwards.

When the visitors managed to create chances, they couldn’t find the equaliser, with Sophia Perrowne saving; Kelly Taylor sending the ball over the crossbar and the ball just evading the final touch of a Surbiton attacker. Hampstead clinched the victory with three minutes remaining, Bregje de Best scoring the hosts’ third goal. Surbiton were awarded a penalty stroke in the penultimate minute following their seventh penalty corner but, although Emma Jones slotted the ball to Perrowne’s right, there was not enough time remaining for the visitors to complete a comeback.

On the final whistle, Hampstead’s players celebrated the end of Surbiton’s 31-match unbeaten run. Surbiton’s disappointment was tempered as news filtered through that Southampton had lost 4-2 at home to Havant, confirming that Sugden Road will stage Women’s England Hockey League fixtures next season for the first time.

However, the league championship is still undecided, Reading 1A winning 2-1 against Oxford Hawks to reduce Surbiton’s lead to six points with four games remaining. On Saturday, Southampton are the visitors to Sugden Road (push back 1 pm) aiming to avenge an 8-0 home defeat back in November.

SURBITON LADIES: Heunis (GK & Capt.); Jenkins, Heptonstall, Jolly, Royce, Taylor, Hanson-Akins, Grant, Jones, Holmes, Craze. Subs: Clacher, James, Newton, Oakes, Philp

Leicester Ladies 6 Surbiton Ladies 2

As expected, Leicester ended Surbiton’s interest in the England Hockey Board Women’s Cup at the quarter-final stage on Sunday.

But Surbiton became the first visiting team to score at Leicester Grammar School this season and, after conceding a three-goal lead at the break, worked hard in the second half to restrict the final margin to four goals.

Leicester came into this match as leaders of the England Hockey League Premier Division, but had to wait until the 12th minute to take the lead, Lucy Brown converting the hosts’ third penalty corner.

Great Britain international, and penalty corner specialist, Crista Cullen, doubled the lead in the 23rd minute, from open play. With fellow international Chloe Rogers sending the ball into the top left corner seven minutes later, Surbiton started the second half 3-0 in arrears.

The situation looked ominous when yet another GB international, Hannah MacLeod, scored Leicester’s fourth goal just three minutes after the break. But, against the odds, Surbiton’s former international Helen Grant pulled a goal back in the 44th minute, following support play from Katelyn Aitchison; with Kate Holmes touching the ball as soon as it crossed the line.

Within a minute, Vanessa Hawkins restored the hosts’ four goal lead. Kerry Williams became the fourth GB international to score for Leicester with 10 minutes remaining, making the score 6-1. But Surbiton had the final word, following a run by Grant, and support from Hannah Oakes, as Sian Craze found a gap between the right post and goalkeeper Maddie Hinch to make the final score 6-2, and enable the visitors to join the University of Birmingham as the only teams to score twice against Leicester this season.

Surbiton can feel proud of their performance, as Leicester have won by bigger margins in league matches this season; 6-0 at Trojans, and 5-0 at home to Bowdon Hightown.

SURBITON LADIES: Heunis (GK & Capt); Jenkins, Heptonstall, Jolly, Royce, Taylor, Aitchison, Grant, Jones, Holmes, Craze. Subs: Clacher, James, Newton, Oakes, Philp