Planet Field Hockey

By Cathy Harris

ROB TODD helped Reading to crown a memorable season when he converted a penalty stroke four minutes from time to steer them to a deserved 3-2 victory over Surbiton in the final of the Premiership play-offs at Beeston Hockey Club, Nottingham, yesterday.
Victory sealed their place in the prestigious European Club Championship next year, while Surbiton, who finished nine points behind Reading at the end of the regular league season, secured a place in the European Cup Winners Cup.

Reading?s relief was palpable at the end of this hard-fought contest because they are one of the sternest critics of the play-off format, believing that, as runaway winners of the league, they should have qualified automatically for Europe?s premier competition rather than having to go through the lottery of the play-offs.

However, they were made to work hard for that right, twice coming from behind to equalise, before taking control of the match in the second half. Steve Richardson opened the scoring for Surbiton before Jonty Clarke hit back for Reading. Jimmy Wallis then regained the lead for Surbiton before an equaliser by Howard Hoskin right on half-time put Reading back in the match.

After some desperate defending immediately after the restart, Reading recovered to seize the initiative in the match, only to be denied by some excellent work by David Luckes, the former Great Britain and England goalkeeper.

However, the winning goal came after Mark Pearn was brought down in the circle after a typically dazzling run. Todd?s clinical conversion from the penalty spot sealed the win, which allows Reading to add Premiership glory to their European Cup Winners Cup silver medal.

In the women?s final, Olton made amends for their defeat in the EHA Cup final when they put in a determined display to defeat Slough, the league winners, 3-1 and earn their first appearance in Europe.

Thrashed 6-1 by Slough in an earlier play-off match, their transformation was remarkable. Their superior passing and control in midfield helped them to dominate for prolonged periods and produce a result that can be described only as a shock.

Helen Grant put Olton ahead in the third minute when she rounded off a fine individual run. Rachel Walsh made it 2-0 from a sixteenth-minute penalty corner before Alex Scott pulled a goal back for Slough within a minute. However, Rachel Walker sealed the match for Olton in the 54th minute, hammering in from a corner.

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