Marlow Hockey Club's u12s Girls team qualify for National Finals in Nottingham

Marlow Hockey Club's u12s girls have qualified for the England Hockey National Finals in Nottingham next month.

Playing at the South Central Area Final at Wallingford Hockey Club on Sunday, the girls recovered from a slow start in their pool matches to reach the knock-out rounds and eventually take the title.

A draw against Winchester in their opening pool game didn't bode particularly well but the team won all their remaining matches and didn't concede a single goal across the entire event.

They edged a close semi-final against Romsey, winning 1-0, before getting the better of Oxford in the final.

Having already beaten them in the pool stages, Marlow went into the final with confidence and that feeling was only buoyed when they scored an early goal.

The whole side worked hard to contain and restrict a solid and well-organised Oxford team, but they managed to get another goal before the end to clinch a 2-0 win and book their place at the national finals.

They'll now face eight other teams from the England Hockey areas in Nottingham on May 11.

Kate Porter, who runs the junior section at Marlow Hockey club, said: “The girls have worked extremely hard this season, and this is a culmination of their hard work and commitment to each other.”