Salisbury Ladies' hockey get ready for title decider (From Salisbury Journal)

Salisbury Ladies' hockey get ready for title decider

12:25pm Friday 22nd March 2013 in Headlines By Journal Reporter

SALISBURY Ladies’ Hockey team will battle it out for the championship title with rivals Cheltenham in a crunch time decider on Saturday.

The Bemerton side thought the West Women's League Premier Division 2A title had vanished, after crashing to a rare 7-4 defeat by Hereford, writes Mike Vimpany.

But, to Salisbury’s relief, Cheltenham had also fallen at the penultimate hurdle and lost 2-1 to Cirencester, so the two will lock horns in a winner-takes-all showdown at Balcarras School, Charlton Kings (12.30pm).

With a superior goal difference, a draw will be enough to seal the title for Salisbury, though Kate Behan's girls have no intention of going for anything other than a win.

Behan said: “It was a long miserable drive back, with the sense that we had thrown our title chances away.But Cirencester have thrown us a lifeline and we must not chuck it away again.”

Salisbury will have to show a significant improvement if they are to beat Cheltenham - Salisbury finding themselves 3-0 down at Hereford before they finally got going.

They eventually switched on just before half-time and clawed a goal back through Lisa Lovatt.

Within five minutes of the restart Vicky Brewis clawed it back to 3-2 - but Salisbury continued to blunder at the back and two more gift wrapped goals gave Hereford a 5-2 lead.

Claire Hobbs and Kate Behan got two more goals back for Salisbury but as the visitors pushed forward in a desperate bid to save the day, Hereford took their goal tally to seven.