Swiss Cottage-based Highbury Korfball Club returned from their festive break with a narrow 13-10 home defeat against Nomads II.

The visitors took an early lead with three unanswered goals, but the sides were level at half-time and Highbury had a two-goal lead with 15 minutes left.

However, Nomads scored five goals in succession to go 11-8 up and ultimately win the contest.

Nomads opened the scoring, but Matthew Dodds scored an immediate response for Highbury to equalise, only for Nomads to hit three unanswered goals and move firmly into the ascendancy.

Not wanting to be out of the match at such an early stage, Highbury clawed themselves back into the contest - first through an Ana Rocha long shot, and then Leonie Ansems de Vries fired home two goals in quick succession to bring the scores level at 4-4.

Highbury were now playing with confidence and made their pressure count through Rocha to give the Reds the lead for the first time. However, they couldn’t quite hold out until half-time and Nomads got a penalty to even the scores at the interval.

De Vries was on form in her first match since October and, just after half-time, she hit another two goals to put Highbury two up, with the game was firmly swinging the way of the home side.

Nomads pulled one back though, and then had two opportunities from the penalty spot – but both were missed and Highbury capitalised to restore their two-goal advantage through Alun Perkins.

With the game reaching its last 15 minutes, Highbury switched off and undid their good work in getting into such a commanding position. The result was that Nomads scored five unanswered goals to completely turn the game on its head and go 11-8 up.

The game was now out of Highbury’s reach and, although De Vries pulled one back to provide a glimmer of hope, a further two quick goals from Nomads ensured they took the points back to Surrey.

Highbury captain Moses Hutchinson-Pascal got himself on the scoresheet for late on but it was too little too late.

Highbury have an immediate chance to revenge this defeat as they travel to Epsom for the return fixture with Nomads II on Sunday.