Buckingham 2 East Grinstead 3

Still with an outside chance of making the top six, Buckingham welcomed second placed EG to Stowe - the visitors on a high following their 7-0 demolition of University of Birmingham the week before. The game started at a high pace with both sides creating openings but it was Buckingham who scored first in the fifth minute, when a superb passing move through midfield saw Jo Pinner slot home from close range into and empty net. It got even better just three minutes later when Welsh international Megan Lewis-Williams fired a rebound into the roof of the net at Buckingham's first penalty corner to make the score 2-0. However, a cheap turnover in midfield resulted in the visitors reducing their arrears just a minute later. Though both sides had other chances, the score remained 2-1 at quarter time.
Buckingham started the second quarter with three penalty corners, one of which was spectacularly cleared off the line, before the visitors had a couple of their own. Rebecca Van Arrowsmith clearing one off the line and Nicole Marks making a couple of fine saves as Buckingham maintained their slender lead into the half-time break.
Other was an end to end start to the second half as both sides earned penalty corners but were unable to convert with Marks making another fine save from a penalty corner. The visitors had the better of the third quarter and were finally rewarded for their efforts in the final minute when some sloppy defending resulted in a penalty stroke that was converted to bring the scores level. Buckingham nearly regained the lead from the resulting push back but the shot was blocked and the scores remained level going into the final quarter.
In a tight encounter it was a momentary loss of discipline and concentration that would prove costly. Buckingham were temporarily reduced to ten players and the visitors immediately capitalised to make the score 3-2 with fifteen minutes remaining. Buckingham continued to fight until the end but despite creating a number of good openings, they could not capitalise and the game ended with a narrow loss. It was a frustrating result but another good performance in many ways and the side should take some confidence into the final match before the Christmas break, away at The University of Birmingham on Saturday.