BROOKLANDS Manchester University were beaten 3-1 at East Grinstead on Sunday, as the hosts marked the return of Olympian Ashley Jackson with victory in the Men's Hockey League Premier Division.

The match started with Brooklands on the front foot, carving open a lacklustre East Grinstead defence with a string of flowing attacking moves.

Aidan Khares hit the post with a powerful strike but the Brooklands forwards found East Grinstead goalkeeper Paddy Smith in fine form.

Another chance saw Stefan Ray-Hills unable to convert from a tight angle from a short-corner rebound.

The dynamic of the game changed when two rash challenges saw Brooklands reduced to 10 then, momentarily, nine players.

East Grinstead took full advantage and pressed for an opener.

Despite some heroic deep defending, the pressure finally gifted the home side the first goal of the game with Jackson appearing at the back post to score from a cross.

The message in the half time talk given by Brooklands head coach Mark Bateman was that the game was very much still there to be won.

In similar fashion to the first half, Brooklands started well, with some clear-cut chances squandered.

At the other end, goalkeeper Chris Scott made a host of impressive saves to deny East Grinstead a second goal.

The frustration of not converting chances began to tell for Brooklands and eventually saw East Grinstead extend their lead. Some good attacking play through midfield resulted in a short corner being won.

Jackson stepped up and scored his second of the game with a powerful flick to the bottom right of goal, just out of reach of Scott.

Seizing the initiative, East Grinstead scored another in quick succession – this time forward Andy Piper reacting fastest to a rebound off the goalkeeper’s pads to flick home their third.

This seemed to galvanise Brooklands, who were finally gifted a short corner after a fast attack down the right wing. Captain Peter Flanagan converted with a powerful low flick to set up a frantic final 10 minutes.

Both sides pushed hard for more goals but their respective defences stood strong.

This was a tough loss for Brooklands given the improved performance but focus now switches to this weekend’s match at Hampstead and Westminster.

In Ladies National Conference North, Brooklands Poynton Ladies' first team lost 2-1 at home to Beeston.

With both teams entering the game with 100-per-cent winning records, it was a game between the early pacesetters.

Brooklands settled the quicker of the two teams and were rewarded with an early goal from Annie Mills who bundled in from close range for her second goal in as many matches at National League level having recently moved to the club from local neighbours Neston over the summer.

Half time arrived with Brooklands Poynton in the ascendancy, a goal to the good, but the lead was short-lived after the restart.

After the ball broke loose in the circle, it was clinically finished by Beeston’s leading striker Sophie Robinson.

With the game moving into the final quarter, and with Beeston dominating possession, Brooklands broke well and were rewarded with a short corner.

A well-worked routine found Mills again who deflected the ball onto the post before Beeston scrambled clear.

With six minutes remaining Beeston were rewarded for their supremacy of possession and struck through Tori Wensley following a good break down the right.

Brooklands Poynton fought hard until the end, searching for an equaliser which proved elusive.