Surbiton Ladies returned to second place in the England Hockey League Conference East after they held Sevenoaks to a 1-1 draw, and leaders Chelmsford beat the previous second placed team, Horsham, 2-1 on Saturday.

As the new water-based pitch at Sugden Road was not quite ready, Surbiton and Sevenoaks agreed to switch the venues of their league matches, with Surbiton travelling to Kent for an evening pushback.

Under floodlights, Surbiton opened the scoring in the seventh minute for the second week running, Vicky Bryant finishing off an attack which had originated from deep in Surbiton’s own half, Jessica Brooker supplying the final pass.

Four minutes later, Surbiton had their first penalty corner opportunity, but were continually frustrated as Sevenoaks’ defenders repeatedly broke from behind the goal-line before the ball was injected, forcing the corner to be retaken.

If the game had been a Premier Division match, the offenders would have been forced to go back beyond the centre line, and not replaced, reducing the effectiveness of their penalty corner defence.

Instead, the umpires eventually lost patience, sending Sevenoaks’ Cathy Gilliat-Smith to the sin-bin for five minutes.

When the corner was eventually taken, Bryant and Emma Rowland-Jones both tried to convert, but were thwarted by the home goalkeeper, Gill Thomson.

Sevenoaks’ Jacqui Ward was well placed to defend against Rowland-Jones, Caroline Ford, and Vicky Bryant; and Minnie James and Molly Hanson-Akins both attacked down the right; but in spite of Surbiton’s attacking efforts, Sevenoaks almost drew level from a breakaway attack.

In the 20th minute, only a foot prevented Surbiton doubling their lead; the umpires awarding a free hit to Sevenoaks as Helen Grant smacked the ball against the backboard in vain.

Nine minutes later, Surbiton had their second penalty corner opportunity, but the ball ended up high in the air and behind the goal.

In the second half, Sevenoaks’ equaliser came from open play, Dutch player Jet Van Zalen scoring her third league goal of the season in the 46th minute. Sevenoaks also had four penalty corner awards, but Surbiton’s excellent defending, in particular leading to a breakaway attack from the fourth award, ensured that the home side failed to convert.

The breakaway only just failed to restore Surbiton’s lead after Bethan Jenkins initiated a penetrating attack involving Maddie Tait, Bryant, and Brooker, whose shot went narrowly past the right post.

Towards the end of the match, Hanson-Akins battled with Fiona Harland down the right flank, but even with Surbiton down to ten players as Ford spent the last four minutes in the sin-bin, Sevenoaks couldn’t take advantage, so both teams ended up sharing the points.

Horsham’s defeat meant that Sevenoaks moved up to third place; with the Sussex side dropping to fourth. Surbiton visit Horsham next Saturday (16 October) with a 1.30 p.m. push back at Broadbridge Heath.

SURBITON LADIES: Tranquille-Day (GK); Heptonstall (Capt.), Jenkins, James, Ford, Rowland-Jones, Goodwin, Robinson; Grant, Brooker, Bryant,. Subs: Hanson-Akins, Macdonald, Morgan, Tait, Teasdale.