Cannock 1 Surbiton 2

As a result of this weekend’s results, Surbiton Men’s first XI are right back in contention to top the England Hockey League’s elite National Premier Division table at the end of the season.

Having lost the first two and then drawn the third of their post-Christmas fixtures, a squad depleted by injury as well as missing four of their five England internationals away at the World Cup saw their two-point lead over Reading after 10 fixtures turned into a six-point deficit.

But this week’s three relevant games could barely have gone better for the Surrey club.

At Cannock on Saturday afternoon, the Midlanders took the lead from open-play in the final minute of the first half.

But a penalty corner conversion from captain Tim Pinnock nine minutes into the second half and an open-play goal from James Ashcroft 11 minutes from time brought the visitors all three points.

News that Reading, who started an hour-and-a-half earlier, could only draw 1-1 at second-from-bottom Brooklands Manchester University came through after the game.

The next day brought the even better news that their Berkshire rivals had lost 2-0 at eighth-placed Loughborough Students.

On the same day, third-placed East Grinstead, who didn’t play on Saturday, won 6-3 at fifth-placed Bowdon to remain five points behind Surbiton.

Finishing top of the league will give the club in that position not the title but the guarantee of one of three places in next season’s EuroHockey League.

First and second position will bring home games in the end-of-season Championship play-off semi-finals, as will fourth against fifth in the preliminary game. The two losers will play each other on Sunday, May 2, to determine the third European place only if the league leaders are in the final, which will be on Monday, May 3, both games at Chase Park.

Highlights of Surbiton’s win at Cannock can be seen on the England Hockey Board TV roundup from Tuesday afternoon (March 9) via englandhockey.co.uk