Saturday evening saw the first eagerly anticipated rematch of last years’ Championship Final as Surbiton travelled to Rochester to take on Holcombe.

The home side went into the contest 1 point ahead of last years’ Champions as their unbeaten start saw them take advantage of the visitors’ uncharacteristic slip-up away at the University of Birmingham last weekend.

The home side welcomed debutant Line Milan as the South African made her first appearance for the Kent side. Coming into the fixture just a point behind their hosts, Surbiton looked to return to winning ways and keep pace with Slough; the early league leaders.

In a high-quality opening phase, both sides enjoyed possession high up the pitch as they looked to assert themselves on the fixture.

Holcombe, content with sitting compactly in their half, broke well in opening minutes and earned themselves a penalty corner. With just nine minutes played, Emma Trunks converted with a powerful strike low to Grace Lawes’ right.

Some fine defensive running from the home side negated the immediate response form the champions but with 8 minutes to go in the half, it was a penalty corner breakdown that was to prove their undoing.

After the initial phase came to nothing, Surbiton’s Alice Sharp stepped up to fire in the rebound and restore parity at the interval.

At the start of the second half, Holcombe returned to the ascendency. In another penalty corner, Trunks’ strike fell to debutant Milan who saw her shot brilliantly tipped round the post by the outstretched stick of Grace Lawes in the Surbiton goal.

Further chances for Pippa Lewis and Sarah Jones went begging as the home side failed to convert their pressure at the start of the period.

Mid-way through the half, Surbiton took the lead through Giselle Ansley. The Great Britain International saw her flick fire low to the right of the Holcombe goal as yet another penalty corner proved the undoing of the finalists from last season.

With time running down, a loose ball in the Holcombe circle fell to Sarah Haycroft who fired high into the Holcombe goal to secure the points for the visitors in a repeat of the score-line from last April.

Next weekend, Holcombe women face a tough trip to Bristol to face Clifton Robinson’s as they look to bounce back from the loss that saw them drop three places in an increasingly tight early season Premier League table.

Pictures supplied by Grout Photography.