MHL Premier Division Review – 18 October
Old Georgians won a crazy game at home to Oxted 10-6 and Hampstead beat East Grinstead 5-1 at Southgate.
Oxted led 5-4 at half time after trailing 2-0 in the eighth minute courtesy of Elliot Messem and Tom Carson. Oxted’s leading goalscorer, Tim Guise-Brown pulled a goal back in the eleventh minute, only for Tom Carson to add a third goal in the 18th minute. Oxted fought back to level at 3-3, Guise-Brown scoring from the penalty spot in the 20th minute and Tim Galloway equalising three minutes later. Sam Driver put Oxted ahead for the first time in the 28th minute, only for Ashley Jackson to make the score 4-4 two minutes before half time. Guise-Brown completed his hat-trick on the stroke of half time to establish a 5-4 lead.
In the second half, it was all Old Georgians after Driver gave Oxted a 6-4 lead in the 44th minute. Edward Carson immediately replied and James Tindall levelled in the 57th minute as the teams stood at 6-6. Old Georgians stormed to victory with four goals in four minutes with Jackson scoring Old Georgians’ seventh goal in the 62nd minute, Dan Shingles adding the eighth two minutes later before Messem and Tindall scored goals nine and ten.
Please sanitise hands, social distance and leave all defending skills at the gate. Not a game for the purist but certainly a game for the majority, I mean would you rather play in or watch a 1-0 or a 10-6….no brainer.
Ashley Jackson, speaking after the record breaking victory
Oxted were the first team to score six goals on the losing side in the Premier Division since 17 March 2012 when East Grinstead lost 8-6 at Beeston.
Hampstead came from behind to win 5-1, Geronimo Clement giving East Grinstead a seventh minute lead. Matt Guise-Brown turned the match around with goals in the 13th and 21st minutes before Rupert Shipperley scored in the 38th minute, Will Calnan netted in the 49th minute and Marc Edwards notched the fifth in the 54th minute.
Beeston also had to come from behind before claiming all three points at home to Brooklands Manchester University. David Flanagan gave Brooklands a half time lead with his thirteenth-minute effort, but Adam Dixon equalised in the 53rd minute, gave Beeston the lead from the penalty spot five minutes later and Alex Blumfield sealed the win in the 62nd minute.
Surbiton, without a game as they were scheduled to play in the cancelled Euro Hockey League, saw their lead cut to two points as Old Georgians and Hampstead & Westminster both won.
Holcombe were inactive for a second successive week after their game at the University of Durham was postponed and the University of Exeter postponed their home game with Wimbledon.
As a result, the bottom four teams stay as they were, with Durham and Exeter both looking for their first point of the season; Brooklands a point ahead in ninth and Oxted on three points in eighth.
Images: SmifSports
