Postponement Would Have Been Right As OG’s Win 5-1 – Premier Review

Men’s Hockey League Premier Division Review – 19/20 February 2022

Old Georgians won 5-1 at Elmbridge rivals Surbiton on Saturday night to maintain their five point lead at the top of the Men’s Hockey League Premier Division Top 6 Table. Surbiton, without five players on England international duty in Argentina, fell behind in the seventh minute when Dan Shingles scored for Old Georgians, Henry Weir doubling the lead six minutes later from a penalty corner.

James Tindall made it three from another penalty corner two minutes before the interval, but although Gareth Furlong pulled a goal back for Surbiton in the 39^th minute, also from a penalty corner, Old Georgians, missing three players, scored twice through Tom Carson, a 47^th minute goal from open play and a penalty corner at the end of the game.

Surbiton’s defeat saw them drop to third as Wimbledon became Old Georgians’ nearest challengers, having to come from behind to claim all three points against East Grinstead with a 2-1 win. Ben Mackey gave the visitors a 24^th minute lead from a penalty corner, but Ronan Harvey-Kelly levelled for Wimbledon in the 31^st minute from open play and Evan Kimber proved to be their match-winner seven minutes from time from a penalty corner.

Hampstead and Westminster were given a 5-0 walkover after Holcombe withdrew from the scheduled match at Paddington Recreation Ground on Sunday afternoon. Hampstead moved up to third with the win, sending Surbiton down to fourth, a point behind.

Oxted and Beeston, seventh and eighth in the Bottom 5, both won on Sunday to open up a gap between themselves and ninth placed Durham University.

Oxted left the University of Exeter still looking for their first win of the season as they came away from Devon with a 4-3 win. Josh Birtles put Oxted ahead in the 21^st minute from open play, but Exeter fought back to lead 2-1 in the third quarter, Patrick Hunter equalising in the 38^th minute and Ben Fox netting in the 43^rd minute, both goals coming from open play. Oxted pulled away to lead 4-2 with Chris Porter restoring parity from open play in the 45^th minute, Lewis Fraser restored Oxted’s lead from a 53^rd minute penalty corner and Nick Giles put away a penalty stroke two minutes later. Rhys Bradshaw gave Exeter hope with an open goal with four minutes to play, but the hosts could not find another equaliser.

All the goals in Beeston’s 3-2 home win over Durham University came in the second half as heavy rain caused problems for both teams. After a goalless first half, Beeston needed just 81 seconds to take the lead in the third quarter, Stuart Kentwell converting a penalty corner. Durham equalised in the 44^th minute through Jakob Schmidt’s open play goal, only for Beeston to reply a minute later through Henry Croft’s penalty corner conversion. Max Garner ended the three goals in five minutes flurry with a second equaliser from open play in the 49^th minute, but Sam Apoola’s goal with just six minutes to play gave Beeston the win.