By Lucas Ball
Holcombe endured a painful weekend of Super 6s action as their first-teams kicked off their Premier Division and Division One campaigns respectively.
Across a combined seven games, Holcombe took just four points – leaving them second-bottom in both leagues heading into the second weekend of action.
Barry Middleton’s men kicked off their Premier Division campaign with a late comeback victory over Hampstead & Westminster as three final-quarter goals secured a 5-4 win in the curtain-raiser on Saturday.
Hampstead took a first-quarter lead through George Carson before Sam Taylor netted a leveller before half-time. The Londoners re-established their lead early on in the second half through Nick Steffens but were once again pegged back, this time by Alex Pendle.
Two more Hampstead goals followed in the third period from Steffens and Joe Hillyer to give them a commanding lead heading into the last quarter but goals from Tom O’Keeffe and then Tom Russell levelled the scores before Taylor scored a winner in the final minute.
Holcombe’s second Saturday match, however, was not so close as Wimbledon ran out 9-3 winners.
Two goals in as many minutes saw the teams go in level at the first break as Benjamin Francis put Wimbledon ahead before Taylor equalised for Holcs but Wimbledon scored four times in the second quarter to take the game away from Holcombe.
Francis netted two more of those to complete his hat-trick with goals also coming from Ed Horler and Lewis Wilcher.
Seb Ansley scored Holcombe’s second less than a minute into Q3 but Wimbledon extended their lead again before the final period as Rory Patterson and Rhys Bradshaw netted.
Jack Turner and Francis made it 9-2 by the 33rd minute before Taylor scored his fourth goal in two matches to reduce the deficit.
Holcombe’s women, meanwhile, coached by former men’s captain Richard Lane – suffered two defeats on Saturday, losing 5-3 to Beeston and 2-1 to Knole Park.
The Beeston match sprang into life after half-time, with all eight goals coming in the final two quarters.
Beeston took the lead in a busy third-quarter through Ella Cusack before two Catherine Ledesma goals turned the game on its head. Beatrice Bell levelled things up for James Sordillo’s side before Ledesma completed a seven-minute hat-trick at the end of the third period.
Beeston netted three unanswered goals in the final period, though, to take the three points through Lauren Burrell, Cusack and then Cerys Miller in the final minute.
Knole Park took the lead inside the first quarter of play through Boadicea Cannon with Alessia Turner doubling their advantage midway through the second period.
Bethan Hodges scored a consolation with two minutes remaining to halve the deficit but Holcombe could not complete the comeback.
Sunday started with the same scoreline as Saturday’s first match for Holcombe’s men, though this time they were beaten 5-4 by Sevenoaks.
Taylor and Femi Owolade-Coombes had given Middleton’s side a two-goal lead inside the first five minutes but Sevenoaks were level by the end of Q2 courtesy of goals from Ben Allberry and Joe Naughalty.
Allberry gave Martin Schouten’s side the lead inside three minutes of the second half before Russell levelled things up inside 60 seconds of the final quarter.
Sevenoaks once again took the lead through James Beck before Owolade-Coombes looked to have secured a point for Holcombe but Naughtalty was on hand in the final minute to snatch the three points.
Team Bath Buccaneers then ran out comfortable winners in Holcombe’s final match of the weekend, beating the Kent side 5-0.
Two goals from Jacob Edwards and a goal apiece for Ben Stone and Graham Davies gave Bath a 4-0 lead at half-time, with Sean Irwin adding the fifth in the third quarter.
Holcombe’s women enjoyed a more successful Sunday, drawing 0-0 against table-toppers Reading.
An incredibly rare result in indoor, Holcombe dominated for large periods of the match but were unable to apply the finishing touch to take their first three points of the campaign.
Holcombe’s men, who are eighth, face seventh-placed Ashmoor (Saturday, 12:30pm), table-toppers Old Georgians (Saturday, 5:30pm), bottom side Surbiton (Sunday, 1pm) and sixth-placed East Grinstead (Sunday 4pm) at Whitgift School this weekend.
Lane’s side, currently seventh, take on bottom side Sevenoaks (Saturday, 12:30pm), fourth-placed Wimbledon (Saturday, 3:30pm), second-placed Sutton Coldfield (Sunday, 10am) and sixth-placed Canterbury (Sunday, 2pm) at Polo Farm this weekend.
Matches can be followed here with tables also available:
Men’s Premier Division: https://englandhockey.altiusrt.com/competitions/381
Women’s Division One: https://englandhockey.altiusrt.com/competitions/382