MHL Premier Division Review – 27 September
Defending champions Surbiton maintained their winning run at Beeston with a 5-2 victory on Sunday. The win was their seventh in succession since Beeston last beat them on home turf in October 2013 and ensured Surbiton stayed top of the Premier Division on goal difference. Rob Farrington put Surbiton ahead in the sixth minute, but Beeston responded two minutes later through Lucas Alcalde. Jonny Gall restored Surbiton’s lead in the 30th minute before Surbiton pulled away with three goals in the third quarter. Luke Taylor’s 44th minute penalty corner and a brace from Ben Boon in the 50th and 53rd minutes took the game away from Beeston, Adam Dixon pulling a second goal back with eight minutes remaining.
East Grinstead are second after their 6-2 win at the University of Exeter. Ben Mackey opened the scoring in the 20th minute with Louis Gittens adding a second goal four minutes later. Exeter fought back three minutes after half time through Archie Winter but goals from Simon Faulkner in the 41st minute, Simon Whait in the 47th minute and Barney Bithell in the 55th minute gave the visitors a 5-1 lead. Max Lowrey reduced the deficit to 5-2 in the 57th minute, but Gittens’ second goal of the game with four minutes left consigned Exeter to a second straight home defeat.
Holcombe secured their second win of the season with a 3-1 win at old rivals, Oxted. Holcombe had to come from behind after Timothy Guise-Brown gave Oxted the lead in the 30th minute, but Sam Hooper levelled in the 34th minute and turned the match around in the 52nd minute, Barry Middleton adding an insurance goal in the 67th minute.
Wimbledon made the long trip to Brooklands Manchester University and returned with all three points after coming out on top with a 4-1 victory. Liam Ansell scored the only goal of the first half in the 28th minute for Wimbledon, but David Flanagan equalised for Brooklands immediately after half time. Wimbledon took control with three goals in a ten minute spell, Rory Patterson putting Wimbledon back in front in the 54th minute, Phil Roper scoring Wimbledon’s third goal a minute later and Ben Francis ending Brooklands’ faint hopes in the 64th minute.
Old Georgians spoilt the University of Durham’s debut match in the Premier Division with an 8-0 hammering. Durham trailed 3-0 at half time, James Carson scoring in the tenth and 28th minutes, either side of Tom Carson’s 24th minute effort. James Tindall added Old Georgians’ fourth goal two minutes after the interval before Sam Ward scored a hat-trick with goals in the 46th, 62nd and 64th minutes. James Carson completed a hat-trick of his own in the penultimate minute.
Hampstead & Westminster didn’t play due to a bye week.
