Holcombe made it six Premier Division points out of six on Saturday as they ran out 4-1 winners away to Cardiff & Met. 

Tom Russell got the scoring underway with Matt Ramshaw and Mubashar Ali then taking Kwan Browne’s side into a three-goal lead. 

Ioan Wall pulled one back for the hosts on the half-time whistle at a penalty corner with a quieter second half following – the only goal coming from Great Britain’s Rohan Bhuhi as he scored his first Holcombe goal.

Holcs were in the ascendency in terms of chance creation from early on, with chances coming the way of Rob Field, Samkelo Mvimbi, Teague Marcano and Felix Tully before Russell opened the scoring. 

Field saw an effort saved with Mvimbi’s follow-up reverse hit adjudged to be backstick just five minutes in before, six minutes later, Marcano’s shot was high after a mis-trapped penalty corner and Tully soon fired another effort just off-target. 

Russell added his second goal of the season on the quarter-of-an-hour mark, converting from Ramshaw’s baseline cross after the former Southgate man controlled an aerial superbly inside the circle. His cross was only half-cleared with Russell alert on the back post to control and fire past Mark Philpot. 

Ollie Payne was first called into action just a minute later at a penalty corner but saved well to deny the hosts an instant equaliser. 

The chances continued to mostly fall Holcs’ way after the first interval, though, as their fluid front four caused Cardiff’s backline problems. 

Jake Owen made an excellent driving run down the right-hand-side before squaring for Marcano who was denied by a great save before Mubashar Ali saw a drag-flick charged down at another corner. 

Nine minutes into the second period, though, the lead was finally doubled through Ramshaw. A deflected ball into the circle from a quick long corner was picked up brilliantly by the forward on the post and he spun to finish through Philpot’s legs from a tight angle to double the advantage. 

Two minutes later, it was 3-0 as Holcombe started to flex their muscles in Wales, this time Mubashar Ali converting brilliantly from a penalty corner for his second Premier Division goal in as many matches.

Mvimbi forced a good save from Philpot soon after as he stepped forward well from the screen before Russell shot off-target as Browne’s men looked to extend their lead. 

Sam Taylor also stepped forward from the backline only to be denied by Philpot as Holcs kept searching but Payne had to be alert to deny the hosts with a brilliant double-save from a quick counter-attack with a long aerial, diving backwards to save the rebound effort which looked to lob him. 

The hosts weren’t content with only testing Payne before the half, however, Wall flicking in from a penalty corner on the whistle to reduce the deficit. 

A fairly quiet third quarter followed with Holcs’ sole corner flicked wide before Cardiff squandered a good chance on the reverse by firing off-target. 

Tully came close to his first Holcombe goal as Philpot denied his deflection from Mubashar Ali’s pass. 

It took until the last four minutes for the first real action of the final quarter, too, as Bhuhi extended Holcombe’s advantage with an excellent goal. 

He lifted the ball past two or three defenders with some silky skills before hitting into the bottom corner past the outstretched Philpot to make sure of the points late on.

Marcano could have added a fifth in the final minute, too, forcing a good save after an aerial over the top, with Cardiff looking to step forward to reduce the arrears. 

The win keeps up Holcombe’s 100% record ahead of this Saturday’s trip to Hampstead & Westminster, leaving them third in the table behind champions Old Georgians and Surbiton, who are in Euro Hockey League action at Sugden Road in the next few days as England host the EHL KO16 for the first time.

Holcs’ chance creation has been strong in their opening two games but final passes have, at times, cost them more opportunities and – particularly against Hampstead, who came fourth last season – they will perhaps need to improve slightly on that if they are to come away with the three points and keep up that winning run. 

Holcombe’s women are also in action against Hampstead & Westminster at Paddington Rec on Saturday (16:00), with the men’s game at 18:00.

Images: Irfon Bennett