Previous Georgians Qualify For Europe For The First Time

Males’s Hockey League Premier Division Assessment – 20 March 2022

Six seasons after returning to the Males’s Hockey League, having been relegated to the South League in 2009-10, Previous Georgians continued their comeback by qualifying for Europe for the primary time with a 4-1 victory at Hampstead & Westminster on Sunday.

Chris Griffiths gave Previous Georgians a 1-0 half time lead courtesy of an open play objective simply earlier than the interval earlier than extending their result in 4-0 with simply six minutes remaining, Sam Ward changing a 43^rd minute penalty nook and scoring from open play both facet of Chris Proctor’s 48^th minute open play objective. Matt Guise-Brown scored a comfort objective for Hampstead with a trademark penalty nook conversion.

Previous Georgians’ victory ensured that the 2020 champions Surbiton’s defence was lastly over with the St. George’s Faculty membership now out of attain. Previous Georgians can clinch the title with a house win over Surbiton subsequent weekend.

Second positioned Wimbledon, ten factors behind Previous Georgians, boosted their hopes of clinching the second Euro Hockey League qualification spot with a 5-1 thrashing of Holcombe at Raynes Park Excessive Faculty. Wimbledon led 3-0 on the break, Duncan Scott opening the scoring within the 24^th minute earlier than Ed Horler scored within the 32^nd and 35^th minutes, all of the objectives coming from open play. Tom Russell gave Holcombe temporary hope of a second half comeback when he pulled a objective again within the 38^th minute, just for Horler to finish his hat-trick a minute later and proceed the open play objective sequence. Ben Arnold’s penalty nook conversion with 5 minutes remaining accomplished one other complete efficiency.

Surbiton maintained the three level hole between themselves and Wimbledon with a 9-1 thrashing of East Grinstead in a match which additionally noticed Luke Taylor miss a tenth minute penalty stroke and Gareth Furlong hit the publish from a penalty nook. Jack Middleton began the rout within the sixth minute and by the tip of the primary quarter, Surbiton led 3-0, David Goodfield doubling the lead within the 14^th minute and Ben Park scoring within the 17^th. East Grinstead shaded the second quarter, Jamie Wallace slotting a penalty stroke within the 25^th minute to not solely make the half time rating 3-1, however develop into East Grinstead’s sole scorer in all three video games in opposition to Surbiton this season, East Grinstead having misplaced 6-1 and 2-1 in West Sussex.

The second half was all Surbiton with Rob Farrington notching a brace within the 37^th and 39^th minutes and Tim Nurse including a sixth objective within the 43^rd minute, all six objectives coming from open play. Jamie Golden broke the sequence with a 52^nd minute penalty nook conversion, however Nick Park and Alex Williams added the eighth and ninth objectives within the 60^th and 65^th minutes from open play as Surbiton received 9-1 at house for the second time this season, having crushed Brooklands Manchester College by the identical rating again in October.

Within the Backside 5, Durham College and the College of Exeter are all however relegated after Brooklands Manchester College received 2-1 at Beeston to open up a 9 level hole over the underside two groups. Brooklands needed to come from behind as Brendan Andrews scored for Beeston simply earlier than half time, however Brooklands’ second half comeback was orchestrated by Felix Tully within the 54^th minute and Andrew Jackson with three minutes remaining, all of the objectives coming from open play. Brooklands closed to inside two factors of Beeston in ninth place.

Exeter lifted themselves off the underside with a 3-1 house win over Durham College. Max Bormann gave Durham a sixth minute lead from a penalty nook however Exeter responded with three open play objectives, Jack Taylor equalising within the 17^th minute, Elliot Sanderson giving Exeter the lead for the primary time within the 29^th minute and Billy Collins clinching the win within the 51^st minute.

Oxted keep a degree forward of Beeston in seventh place with a sport in hand after having their second bye week of Section 2.