The women’s team notched a 3-1 win while the men’s side came from behind late on to draw 3-3 in last weekend’s action at Trent Park, writes Alastair Whatley

Goalmouth action for Southgate's women as they beat Wimbledon 3-1 (credit Simon Parker-SP Action Images) — Goalmouth action for Southgate’s women as they beat Wimbledon 3-1 (credit Simon Parker/SP Action Images)

Southgate’s women were made to work by bottom-placed Wimbledon, yet two goals in the last 90 seconds secured Ellie Robinson and her team three important points sending them to into third place, their highest-ever position in Division One South.

Results have not gone the way of the Helen Jelley-coached side, despite strong performances in recent weeks. They may have been without a win since their second game of the season, yet they have made every opposition work with all games since mid-October being lost by a single goal margin or drawn. In recent weeks they drew with Surbiton and Guildford and took the Magpies close in a 2-3 loss. They are a far better side than their league position suggests.

The Southgate side were largely unchanged but with defender Ami Robinson out with a hand injury, Liv Richardson made a welcome return to first team hockey after her own hand injury from the indoor campaign in December.

So it proved with Wimbledon repeatedly forcing Southgate errors on the ball as a largely youthful Wombles side made Southgate really work for their possession which shot back and forth down the pitch in an entertaining haywire game of hockey. Louisa Bray had a very strong game in goal and needed all her guile to keep a succession of Wimbledon corners at bay, meanwhile the young under-16s England keeper Ciara Beech showed all her potential denying repeated shots from the Gate forwards.

It took until the 33rd minute for the dam to burst when Katie McCallum continued her form in front of goal when Ella Poole Crowe set up a fine opportunity for McCallum who dinked it through a series of Wimbledon sticks before chipping the ball over Beech into the goal to give the home side the league.

The heat of the spring afternoon proved a factor as teams tired moving into the second half with repeated turnovers from both teams. Meg Parry for Wimbledon stood out with some exemplary work in the midfield for visitors creating a series of chances down the Southgate flanks.

Meanwhile Charlotte Childs, Lorna Cruickshank and Jess Denniff worked hard with energetic leading into Wimbledon pockets yet couldn’t find any passages of sustained possession. As the minutes ticked down the Gate supporters felt a growing sense of Wimbledon beginning to edge the advantage and is it proved when Emily Barker forced her way into the Southgate D over and through the defensive wall and found a small space to get a shot away beating Bray to equalise and give the vocal Wimbledon supporters a ray of hope.

The final quarter was played out in blinding late afternoon sunshine, Ellie Robinson the Southgate skipper was all over the pitch and proved a key outlet, yet Wimbledon kept pushing and were unlucky at times not to convert their chances yet the Gate defence led by Ellie Halliday, Flora Walker and Emma Postings in the central role doing sterling work to deny the visiting side the lead.

Eventually experience, guile and home advantage proved the winning formula and in the 69th minute when Cruickshank on a superb run cutting onto the baseline from the right wing put up a perfect ball for her captain to finish with clinical precision. There followed a further goal just 30 seconds later when Ellie Halliday converted with well placed slap into the bottom left corner of the Wimbledon goal.

It wasn’t always the prettiest hockey that Andy Richardson’s side have placed, and the home side certainly didn’t have it all their own way. Yet stubborn determination and increasing confidence from this team paid dividends and the side deservedly take their place in the top three of Division One South. This weekend they are afforded the chance to close the game on the University of Exeter in second place as they head to Surbiton for another crunch game.

Final score: Southgate 3 Wimbledon 1

Southgate’s Karan Sofat celebrates the equaliser against East Grinstead (credit Simon Parker-SP Action Images) — Southgate’s Karan Sofat celebrates the equaliser against East Grinstead (credit Simon Parker/SP Action Images)

Charles Hamilton equalised in the dying seconds of an enthralling contest between Southgate and old rivals East Grinstead in an end-to-end thriller which earned a crucial point for the Huw Stevens-coached side.

Southgate came into the game full of confidence riding high from a 3-4 win over Cardiff & Met the previous week, that ebullience was clear to see from the off and it was Archie Foster who danced into the D from a lovely aerial take down by Sean Davies who shipped it onto Foster who drove the baseline before cutting inside and lifting it over EG keeper Oliver Smart to give Southgate the 1-0 advantage in the eleventh minute.

The visitors soon replied in the 17th minute with Thomas Tyers forcing the ball home from a patient build up, taking advantage of a Southgate turnover at the top of their D. A beautiful day in Trent Park had given way to a sultry evening and the crowds thronged the famous Southgate balcony and the second quarter proved a humdinger.

Archie Foster was again in the thick of the action as Jack Middleton threw a pin point aerial in the 24th minute deep into EG territory which found Foster who dabbled his way into the D with umpire Neil Smith immediately awarding a penalty flick against the EG defence for impeding an incoming shot. Jack Middleton took the slow long walk to the EG D and calmly put the ball away in clinical style past Oliver Smart to give Gate the lead once again.

Just before half time East Grinstead put forward a devastating phase of play when skipper Daniel Faulkner- after some patient build up play, drove hard down the right channel and put a ball across the penalty spot with real vigour, Stephen Perry posted up with a reverse stick deflection that sent the ball high over Calum Douglas’ right pad into the roof of the goal to equalise for East Grinstead once again.

The game was on and after four goals and a series of chances at both ends it was hard to separate the teams. The second half begun to vocal home support reverberating around Trent Park under the darkening skies and it proved a cagey, hard fought quarter with no goals coming forth. EG managed to win 6 corners through the second half with most coming at the death.

Calum Douglas produced some remarkable saves to deny Faulkner and Max Lowrey from the top of the D and the Southgate defensive unit of Mo Gandhi, John Sterlini, Joe Hillyer, Ali Douglas and Robbie Gill had to put in a double shift to keep the probing attack at bay.

Meanwhile at the other end Smart stopped Fosters two flicks from top D with decisive blocks. The final quarter was dominated by the visitors and a accumulation of pressure led to cards for Hamilton and Sofat leaving Southgate with ten men for four consecutive minutes – the last of those saw Louis Tipper again find a deflection to beat Douglas in the 69th minutes breaking the hearts of the home fans on the ‘Gate balcony.

Only a miracle would rescue things as the seconds counted down on umpire David Monger’s clock. Yet Foster again stood up and found space down the right, he drove the baseline fed in a ball cross goal which Smart intercepted yet it fell well for Hamilton who jumped on the ball with fervour slapping it home past a stricken Smart to tie the game as the whistle blew time on an entertaining contest. Celebration of a point from the jaws of defeat resonated around the ground.

It was a fabulous event in front of a noisy and packed Southgate Hockey Centre. Phase two of the Premier Division is not well into it’s stride as the Southgate men next head west to Richmond for what is sure to be another riveting contesting between two sides fighting tooth and dagger to hold onto their premier division status.

Final score: Southgate 3 East Grinstead 3

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