Highbury Korfball Club edged out in close contest against Croydon

Highbury’s winning run came to an end at the hands of Croydon, who hit four late goals to secure a 17-15 victory a in a tightly-contested game in the Promotion Division.

Croydon, who have only lost one match this season, were neck and neck with Swiss Cottage-based Highbury throughout, with no more than one goal separating them for the majority of the game.

The sides traded goals early on, with Mirelle Geervliet opening the scoring for the visitors and Matthew Dodds also hitting the target, but Croydon equalised both times and then went 4-2 up, forcing Hannah Evans and Jean Ayres to respond and level the scores again.

The rest of the first half continued in the same vein – a Croydon goal, followed by a Highbury equaliser – with Moses Hutchinson-Pascal, Evans and Rennan Fonseca getting the Highbury goals as the sides went into the break at 7-7.

Dodds briefly fired the away team into a two-goal lead, but the advantage didn’t last long as Croydon doubled up themselves to equalise at 9-9.

And, when Dodds completed a second-half hat-trick, that effort was cancelled out, while Fonseca and Niccola Hyslop also put Highbury ahead before the lead was wiped out.

Croydon broke the pattern with two consecutive goals, but Highbury wouldn’t lie down and Geervliet and Evans put the visitors 14-13 up.

However, with the game reaching a conclusion, it was the experience of Croydon that shone through, a three goal-run giving them a two-goal lead.

Hyslop hit back one more time but Croydon finished the match two goals to the good.

Highbury now have a break before facing table-topping Trojans II on Sunday April 19.