Southgate Hockey Club’s men are yet to win a point in the Premier Division this season, writes Alastair Whatley

Oxted’s Michael Royden-Turner brings down the ball at Southgate Hockey Centre (credit Simon Parker/SP Action Images)

Southgate came unstuck to a young and vibrant Oxted side as their poor start to the season continued in front of a packed home crowd on Saturday night (5th October).

Momentum is an elusive thing, when things go your way it feels like you are running downhill with the wind at your back, yet to quote Hamlet: “When sorrows come, they come not as single spies… but in battalions”. Those battalions of sorrows must have been sorely felt by coach Huw Stevens and his Southgate players on Saturday night under the lights in Trent Park.

Scottish international Ali Douglas went down within four minutes at the edge of the the Oxted D as an ankle injury flared up and moments Oxted broke down the right with Jack Jamieson sending Lucas Ward on goal for a fine reverse finish past Southgate keeper Calum Douglas. A double blow of an injury to a key player and a goal in quick succession meant the home side were immediately on the back foot.

Further woe followed shortly after as in the twelfth minute vice captain Jack Middleton pulled up with a groin injury just as Michael Roydon-Turner on a turnover drove hard and left pulling off a blinding reverse-hand cross ball across the goal where the now injured Middleton was unable to keep pace with Oxted’s Peter Jarvis for a diving finish that left the visitors up with a two goal cushion inside the first quarter of play. Middleton’s game was done, Southgate were down two players and two goals and had some serious work to do to
get back into a game that was fast slipping through their fingers.

The second quarter was both ferocious and frantic with both sides getting chances. The home side built some sustained chances with Huge Page, Nat Farrant, Dan West and then Karan Sofat all going close before Sofat turned-over a loose Oxted ball on their own ’25
bringing in Page on the left who driving hard onto the baseline scooped the ball on his reverse onto the diving outstretched stick of Premier Division debutant Aedan McCrossan with a finish that drew loud cheers from the home support thronging the balcony.

Just four minutes remained until half time and Southgate pressed for the equaliser, yet they were dealt a hammer blow on the stroke of the whistle when Lucas Ward shifted his marker and broke free to scuttle home a ball popping up on the back post to restore Oxted’s two-goal margin.

Oxted came out playing some smart possession hockey which saw them with 62% of the ball throughout the second half. Calum Douglas required to fend off a succession of Oxted attacks. Southgate meanwhile saw just one meaningful attempt from open play when Page
drove in a ball across goal just failing to miss the open stick of Canadian international Sean Davis.

In the dying seconds of the third quarter Southgate won a succession of penalty corners. The first well run down by the Oxted runner, the second Archie Foster sent low and left well saved by the postman, the third Foster sent down the central channel and was easily parried by Robert MacLennan in the Oxted goal the final re-award was a smart variation slipped left to Southgate captain John Sterlini who sent it hard outside the left post where Joe Hillyer’s deflection was sent just outside the near post. The scoreline remained
stubbornly at 1-3.

The remaining minutes saw a huge shift put in from the reduced ranks of the home players, yet Oxted deserve credit for the way they held the advantage. Irish international Nick Page freshly returned from the Olympics delivered a masterclass with fellow centre back Owen Williamson. Southgate simply were unable to break down the Oxted defence to create any meaningful chances.

Coach Huw Stevens, in a last ditch effort, took off keeper Douglas to give the home side the outfield man advantage in the final moments, yet it was Oxted who took that advantage in the final minute as Charlie Axford delivered the final blow with a driving run from the left-wing across the top of the Southgate D sending a pin point reverse against the backboard of the empty goal.

It was Oxted’s night and a deserved win for the visitors who have snared six points from their last two games. Southgate battled, created the chances but lacked the clinical edge, they will need to improve on the ball if they are to work their way up the fiercely competitive Premier Division table. They have a chance to put theory in practice against a Wimbledon side fresh from a weekend of European Hockey League action this Saturday in Raynes Park.

Final score: Southgate 1 Oxted 4

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