Sam McEvoy
Kingston cruised to a 4-0 victory over Royal Free and University College Medical School after KU striker Chris Podd netted twice on a wet and windy day at Surbiton Hockey Club.
Ollie Varney and Rob Field also added their names to the scoresheet as they broke down RUMS defence to make it their second win in a row.
Field, who has now scored six times in five games, said: “As a group I think we played well. The weather and conditions were terrible so it was all about grinding out a result. We’re playing positively, doing well and improving every game.”
Kingston made the perfect start as vice-captain, Varney, latched on to a rebounded shot which he calmly finished in the seventh minute. Kingston continued to pile on the pressure as they looked to extend their lead, but were thwarted as RUMS’ goalkeeper, Harry Bamber, kept his side in the game.
As the rain got progressively heavier, the worse the conditions became with both teams making simple mistakes and conceding possession far too easily.
It wasn’t until the second half that one of the mistakes would prove costly and RUMS were made to pay for it. Kingston doubled their lead after a failed clearance fell to goal predator, Field, who calmly shot across the opposition’s keeper and effectively put the game to bed.
Kingston continued to dominate possession with slick passing and neat footwork, outplaying their opponents in every department.
Kingston’s hard work eventually paid off as Podd scored twice deep into the second half as he neatly flicked in two crosses, taking his personal tally to six goals this season.
RUMS captain Harry Goss said: “We played well in the first half, but didn’t make enough chances which was unfortunate. When we did get a chance, we weren’t clinical enough in the final third and they made us pay.
“We didn’t play well enough for the majority of the game. It’s as simple as that. We can definitely bounce back, no question about it.”
Grace Henley 
Josh Smith 
Ella Rebbitt