Surbiton sharpshooter Alan Forsyth knows his side do not have the best of records against near neighbours Wimbledon, but that will count for little when the two teams clash in the Championship play-off semi-finals this weekend.

Surbiton lost 4-1 at home to Wimbledon in the regular season, before the Sugden Road outfit were forced to battle back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 in the return fixture.

Wimbledon keeper James Bailey and Surbiton shot stopper David Kettle made crucial saves in the second match, when the result could have gone either way.

Wimbledon captain Ben Hawes and coach Ben Marsden will line-up against their old club this weekend.

But despite the obvious rivalry, Forsyth believes what has passed will have no bearing on his side’s championship title ambitions. “It wasn’t a great result at home in the league to be fair and we are just looking at this game the same as any other,” he said.

“We are taking this game by game. It is frustrating to lose any game no matter who it is against.

“We battled back well in the second game and were lucky enough to get a draw, but it could have gone either way in the end.

“Those results have no bearing because this is cup hockey and it is a one off game.”

He added: “I wasn’t around when the likes of Ben Hawes and Ben Marsden were at Surbiton, so them playing against us means nothing to me particularly.

“But if I was a player playing against my old team I would want to show them what they are missing, so that there might be something in that.”

Michael Watts, fresh from triumphing with Ireland in the Hockey World League quarter-finals in San Diego last week, netted a late equaliser as Surbiton drew 1-1 with Canterbury in a practice match last Thursday.

The match was played on the iconic blue pitches at the Olympic Lee Valley hockey & tennis centre in Queen Elizabeth Park in preparation.

Head coach Todd Williams’ men then won 4-3 on penalties in a game played under European tournament rules.

Surbiton, who finished second in the table, must reach the final to bag one of two spots likely to be available to English teams for next year’s EuroHockey Club Champions Cup.