Huw Stevens and his Southgate side will make the long journey to Sophia Gardens to take on Cardiff & Met in a must win game as phase 2 of the Premier Division finally resumes after the long lay off.
Stevens will be pleased to welcome back from injury the Scottish International Ali Douglas fresh from a dominant performance in the Nations Cup in Oman, which saw Ali and brother (and Southgate goal keeper) Calum in action in Scotland’s victory over Poland in the final at the weekend.
The home leg back in September saw Southgate dominate the game but unable to convert their chances whilst Cardiff took theirs going 0-2 by half time and Rhodri Furlong delivering the 3rd in the 48th minute. Only Charles Hamilton got himself on the scoreboard in that the first Premier Division fixture of the season.
Southgate comes into the game fresh from strong performances against Holcombe, Oxted and Hampstead and travel with confidence, yet captain John Sterlini will not underestimate the home advantage that Sofia Gardens provides to the the only Welsh side in the Premier Division of English Hockey. The players can expect drums, music and a partisan home crowd looking to cement the Walid Abdo coached sides position in this competitive division.
Southgate need the result to propel them out of proximity from the drop zone, if they can replicate their recent performances cross the full 70 minutes they should come away with the points. The last game at Sophia Gardens saw a 1-4 win to the then Kwan Browne coached side back in 2023. His successor Huw Stevens will hope history can repeat itself 18 months down the line.