While over the weekend one Surrey club remained very much in the hunt for a national league premiership playoff at the end of the season, another one had its hopes of a place in the playoffs to qualify for a national league place dashed literally at the very last minute.

But while Wimbledon didn't even play a game in seeing their hopes shattered, Surbiton had to come through two tough away fixtures in two days to maintain their challenge.

Wimbledon led the 20-team South Premier League by two points from Fareham, but the latter had just one postponed game left at High Wycombe on Saturday to gain the victory that would pip Wimbledon at the post for the championship and a place in the playoffs for the new EIIL 12-team division two. And, cruelly for the watching Wimbledon players, they achieved this with an open-play goal for a 2-1 win just 42 seconds from time by Declan Colclough, brother of former Surbiton player Tony.

Wimbledon gained some measure of consolation the next day, beating Oxted, of the lower Hampshire/Surrey Regional League, by 3-0 at Surbiton's Sugden Road ground to win the Surrey Cup Final.

Meanwhile Surbiton themselves were on the road at first Hull on Saturday and then Stourport on Sunday in their bid to win the EHL division one and so a playoff game against the 10th placed team in this year's 12-team national premiership, which is being reduced to just 10 clubs next season.

Like High Wycombe, Surbiton too needed to win a postponed game on Saturday to restore their position at the top of their league. But this time there was no late winner as Surbiton had a shot cleared off the line and twice saw the ball roll agonisingly across an unattended Hull goal in the closing minutes of the game.

If Surbiton win their final fixture against 17th placed Firebrands from Bristol at Sugden Road this Sunday (2pm), there is nothing Doncaster, who are away to 12th place Oxford Hawks, can do to prevent them winning the championship.

Old Georgians ended their season with a 100 per cent 18 wins from 18 games in winning the Hampshire/Surrey regional League.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.