W1 Beat Reading 3-0 To Top Pool B
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Women beat Reading 3-0 on Saturday afternoon to finish top of Pool B and qualify for the Athletiq.App Premier Division Finals at Nottingham Hockey Centre on 3/4 May.
The game can be watched back via the Surbiton Hockey Club channel on You Tube here.
Surbiton had been in danger of failing to qualify for the finals for the first time since first playing in the Premier Division in 2012-13 after losing 4-3 at home to Loughborough Students a fortnight ago, but having previously relinquished 2-0 and 3-2 leads against both Loughborough and East Grinstead in two of their previous three home matches, the reigning champions put together the professional performance they needed to progress.
Reading not only lost for the first time this season away from Sonning Lane, but failed to score for the first time since 26 February 2023 when they lost 2-0 at home to Buckingham.
Surbiton goalkeeper, Amber Walton kept her fifth clean sheet of the season, although Reading's Lucie Daman missed a penalty stroke at the end of the third quarter.
Reading fell behind in the 15th minute, Izzy Petter running from the left before scoring from an acute angle, the ball rebounding off the inside of the right sideboard.
Reading were then stunned by two goals in as many minutes in the second quarter. Martha Taylor carried the ball down the right wing before passing to Ellie Mackenzie who ran into the circle before smashing the ball into the roof of the net in the 28th minute.
From Surbiton's next attack, Mackenzie turned from goal scorer to goal provider, running into the Reading 23 and then into the circle, the cross from the right touched in by Erica Sanders to put Surbiton firmly in command.
Reading forced five penalty corners in the match and had their chance to get back in the match after the fifth award, a re-award of the fourth corner, resulted in a penalty stroke being awarded. Walton's clean sheet was preserved after Lucie Daman's stroke was slotted wide right of the goal in the 53rd minute.
Reading goalkeeper, Nicki Cochrane made a close range save to prevent Alice Wills scoring in the fourth quarter and when the final whistle went, Surbiton had not only joined Reading on six points but had clinched top spot with a one goal superior goal difference, Surbiton with a goal difference of plus seven goals, Reading with a goal difference of plus six.
Loughborough drew 1-1 with Clifton Robinsons in the other Pool B match, before winning the shootout 4-3 to finish on five points. Jasmine Porter gave Clifton the lead in the 39th minute, Beth Alexander levelling for Loughborough from the penalty spot in the 55th minute.
Surbiton will meet East Grinstead in the semi-final at Nottingham Hockey Centre after Hampstead & Westminster beat the West Sussex club 3-2 to finish top of Pool A. Olivia Hamilton followed up her brace in the EuroHockey Club Trophy I final v Watsonians in Czechia with another double goal haul to put Hampstead 2-1 ahead after Olivia Shannon had opened the scoring for East Grinstead. Millie Giglio equalised for East Grinstead with thirteen minutes to play, but Tyler Lench averted the need for a shootout with a winner for Hampstead two minutes from time. Hampstead will play Reading in the semi-finals.
Wimbledon beat Bowdon 5-0 in a dead rubber with five different goalscorers, Olivia Chilton, Megan Crowson, Anna Toman, Becky Manton and Hannah Bond all scoring.
In the relegation playoffs, both the relegated clubs lost their final games. Sutton Coldfield lost 3-1 at home to the University of Birmingham after having hopes of securing a win on the last day of the season, Mollie Beeton giving them a half time lead. Birmingham broke Sutton's hearts with three goals in twelve minutes in the fourth quarter, Hannah Pearce, Jess Davis and Ruby Spavin ensuring that Birmingham finished six points ahead of the University of Nottingham.
Nottingham beat Holcombe 3-0, Maddie Axford, Chloe Walton and Freya Robinson giving Nottingham their third win in their last four games.