The scene was set for an exciting finale to the 2013-14
NOW:Pensions Men’s Hockey League season this afternoon. East Grinstead headed the Premiership table
on 41 points, the same number as Beeston, but with a much better goal
difference. At the bottom of the table,
Sheffield Hallam in 10th place were only two points behind
Loughborough Students, who themselves were only one point behind eighth place
Cannock.
This afternoon, despite Cannock’s Peter Jackson scoring
first, Beeston won three points at home by beating Cannock 2-1. Beeston’s goals came from Sam Ward and
Richard Lawrence. But what was going on
down in London, where East Grinstead were visiting fourth placed Surbiton? The Surbiton v East Grinstead match looked so
appealing that we decided to make it this weekend’s featured match, and we were
not disappointed.
Mark Pearn was early to put EG’s stamp on the match with a
goal in the third minute. Although a
stinging James Royce penalty corner conversion put Surbiton back into the match
eight minutes later, it did look as if ‘Grinstead had this match by the scruff
of its neck. Pearn asserted their ascendency by himself converting a corner to
regain his side’s lead, with Jackson scoring a third for EG a few minutes
later.
Although Surbiton were under the cosh, they could still be
dangerous. James Tindall replied to Jackson’s goal within seconds. But the
Grinners at this stage of the match looked by far the better side, with Mark
Gleghorne and Ashley Jackson scoring from penalty corners just before the break
to bring the score to 2-5 in their favour.
A game of two halves?
It surely was, with Surbiton exerting far more pressure in the second
half and being justly rewarded with two goals from James Tindall to give him
his hat-trick. East Grinstead’s
leadership of the table was under real threat, and there was a palpable sigh of
relief from their loyal supporters when Gleghorne netted his second from a
penalty corner.
The game was not quite over, with Matt Daly scoring an
overtime penalty corner for Surbiton, finishing off what had been a superb and
entertaining game of hockey. And, on a very positive note, it seems that
Surbiton has transformed itself from the side we once criticised for making
hockey look a miserable pastime. Well done to them. Final score: 5-6 to East Grinstead.
At the other end of the table, Loughborough Students’ 4-2
defeat at the hands of third-placed Reading means that they slip back into the
automatic relegation spot. Sheffield Hallam get a reprieve, at least until the
relegation play-offs, as a result of a comeback in the last six minutes against
Wimbledon. They were 4-2 down away against Wimbledon, when two penalty corner
conversions by Mike Shaw, and a field goal from Liam Ansell, gave them a 4-5
win. Hallam finish in ninth place on 11 points, separated by goal difference
from Cannock in eighth.
In the other Premier Division match of the day, Canterbury
were beaten 3-4 by visiting Hampstead & Westminster.
The promotion play-off place in the East Conference was finally decided this afternoon. Holcombe were
three points behind leaders Southgate, but Southgate’s 1-1 draw at Bromley
& Beckenham keeps them ahead by one point. Bromley & Beckenham had led
for 53 minutes and, with Holcombe’s better goal difference, Southgate’s promotion
play-off place looked in jeopardy. It was their Timmy Smyth that finally
rescued them. St Albans were already
relegated, and Brighton & Hove were already in the relegation play-off
position.
In the North
Conference, Brooklands MU had already won the promotion play-off position
and West Bridgford were already relegated. The issue to be decided was the
relegation play-off position, with both Belper and Deeside Ramblers on 14
points. , and Khalsa on 16 points. One
of those matches involved two of the teams, with Drew Burkin’s 70th
minute penalty corner conversion giving Belper a 2-1 win and condemning Khalsa
to the relegation play-offs. Deeside Ramblers, who had occupied the place until
this afternoon, moved up one place after beating Olton & West Warwicks 6-2.
Issues at both ends of the Conference West had still to be decided, with five clubs at the
bottom of the table within three points of each other. In an unfortunate last match of the season
meeting for ninth placed Havant, they played Cardiff and Met at home. A draw might have got Havant out of trouble,
and it took 56 minutes before there was any score. Henry Eriksson’s penalty corner conversion
was the only goal of the match, but it secured the Welsh side’s promotion play-off
spot and condemned Havant to automatic relegation. The relegation play-off spot
goes to Isca, who lost 2-3 to Fareham. Fareham move off the bottom place into
seventh, pushing Guildford down into Eighth. Guildford lost 2-0 to second
placed Bath Buccanners.
FULL RESULTS AND TABLES ARE AT www.TalkHockeyRadio.co.uk. PICTURES FROM THE PREMIER DIVISION MATCH
BETWEEN SURBITON AND EAST GRINSTEAD WILL APPEAR SOON AT www.HockeyImages.co.uk.
