The TalkHockeyRadio team were the guests of Old Loughtonians yesterday for their pitch opening and double header against Bromley & Beckenham (more of that later), so we had to hold over our review of yesterday's matches until this morning (Sunday).
Before looking at yesterday's league results, it is worth reflecting on Beeston's incredible result against Amsterdam in yesterday's Round 1.1 EuroHockey League match in Barcelona. We checked our records and it is only the second time in the history of the League that a Dutch team has lost a Round 1 match. (The first occasion was when KHC Dragons beat Rotterdam last season).
But 45 minutes into the game, the chances of Beeston pulling off such a coup looked remote. They were 3-1 down thanks to goals from Amsterdam's Spanish stars Santi Frexia and Roc Oliva and captain Billy Bakker. Beeston's contribution to the scoresheet came from David Ames in the 27th minute. Any hope from Beeston's second goal, scored by skipper Adam Dixon, was soon wiped out by a response from Amsterdam's penalty corner specialist Taeke Taekema, to put the score at 4-2. But Beeston clearly did not abandon hope of winning the match, and in the space of four minutes came goals from Martin Jones, David Ames and Mark Wadsley.
The 4-5 result means that Beeston top Pool A and will be seeded when the draw is made for Round 2 at Easter.
The Men's England Hockey League is looking a topsy turvy place at the moment. With only three games played yesterday due to the absence of Beeston and the re-arranged match between Reading and Canterbury (being played today), there were some surprising results from two sides that the league has not favoured so far.
The return of their internationals seems to have spurred Surbiton back into life after a worrying start to their season. They won their first match of the season yesterday, with two goals apiece from Rob Moore and Alexander Penney, plus goals from James Tindall and James Penney. The result, a 6-1 lwin over visiting Cannock, lifts Surbiton off the bottom place into eighth.
The other side to record their first win of the season was Southgate, who took apart newly promoted Brooklands MU 7-0, with the goals from Dan Shingles (3), Callum Burden, Timmy Smith (2) and Francois Pretorius. Southgate move up from ninth to seventh.
In the only other match in the men's Premiership yesterday, Hampstead & Westminster and East Grinstead drew 1-1. The result leaves no less than four clubs on seven points, with Reading in third place, followed by East Grinstead, Hampstead & Westminster and Cannock. Reading could move up into second place if they beat Canterbury this afternoon.
Also sharing points are the sides top of the table in of the Premier Division of the Investec Women's League. The surprise leaders five weeks into the season are Sutton Coldfield, who made Slough's dire season even worse with a 7-0 win at home. Vicky Woolford (2) and the evergreen Jane Sixsmith always seem to be amongst the scorers and they were joined in this match by a hat-trick from Celia Butler and a goal from Sarah Mills. The result moves Sutton Coldfield up four places, although they can be overtaken by Canterbury who will be playing Reading this afternoon in the double header at Sonning Lane.
Surbiton women had their balloon burst by Leicester yesterday, losing at home 1-2. Surbiton's visitors last weekend, Bowdon Hightown, perked up their season with at 2-1 win at home to Olton and West Warwicks. Both of Bowdon's goals came from Tina Cullen. Unfortunately, their second win of the season still leaves them in fifth place. After a promising start to the season, Clifton have gone off the boil and slip to fourth after a 2-2 draw against visiting Birmingham Uni.
As mentioned earlier, TalkHockeyRadio was at Old Loughtonians for their double header against Bromley & Beckenham. Luxborough Lane is a living example of the Olympic legacy, its blue and pink pitches a reminder that the club was chosen to host the hockey training facility for 2012. The double header was also the occasion of the club's President's Day and the 'official' opening of the new pitches. Of course, the new pitches were already in use at the end of the 2011-2012 season, but the club was looking to a post-Olympic occasion for a formal opening to make the new pitches truly their own.
The chocolate cake in the clubhouse was truly magical, but out on the pitch the rain failed to dampen what was an entertaining encounter between Old Loughts women and their visitors. The Loughts have made some interesting acquisitions during the summer, including ex-England goalkeeper Becky Duggan, and the very talented South African international Lauren Penny, poached from Slough. Bromley & Beckenham's women joined the East Conference this season, and have found the going difficult. Although they made a game effort against the home side, with their Emma Greenway scoring from a penalty corner in the third minute, the difference between the two sides eventually told, with Penny, Izzy Jones and Madeline Row all scoring for Old Loughts. The final score, 3-1, promotes them from sixth to fourth in the table, whilst Bromley & Beckenham remain rooted at the bottom of the table.
It's amazing the difference a season can make, because Bromey & Beckenham men had to play the get-out-of-gaol card via the relegation play-offs last season. Yesterday morning they stood in second place, five above Old Loughtonians in the East Conference. In what was a feisty affair, a tad too feisty on one or two occasions, Bromley & Beckenham took an early lead with a goal from Peter Dobson. Jonny Brown equalised for Old Loughts, and Adnan Zakir gave them a brief lead before James Grannell equalised for the Becks. The score remained at 2-2 for less than a minute before Stephen Roche scored for the visitors to give them a brief lead. Just before the half time whistle, James Southgate was on hand to convert a penalty corner for the Loughts, taking the teams in at the break at 3-3.
The game was eventually decided in the 17th minute of the second half, with a penalty corner conversion from Oliver Didham. Final score 4-3 to the home side in what was a thoroughly entertaining match. The result moves Old Lougtonians up one place to sixth, whilst Bromley & Beckenham slip down to third. And did we mention the chocolate cake? It was sublime.
PICTURES OF THE DOUBLE HEADER AT OLD LOUGHTONIANS WILL APPEAR ON OUR SISTER WEB SITE AT WWW.HOCKEYIMAGES.CO.UK SOON. RESULTS AND TABLES FROM STATURDAY'S MATCHES CAN BE FOUND ON OUR MAIN WEB SITE AT WWW.TALKHOCKEYRADIO.CO.UK.
