The women started the day in seventh place in a ten team league, with the bottom two to go down, but despite having a two point cushion over the teams below them, they needed a point to make absolutely sure of retaining their place in the league. In the event, a decisive 3-0 win away at Cheltenham relegated the home side, and Marlow ended the season in a comfortable sixth place.

After early home pressure, a pass from Lottie Porter put Lena Sykora though into a one-on-one with the Cheltenham goalkeeper, who took the player rather than the ball, and Porter calmly slotted the resultant penalty stroke to settle any nerves, and leave Marlow 1-0 up after the first quarter. That remained the score at half time, and Marlow extended their lead early in the third quarter when lovely skill from Keira Allen found Jess Rees-Gray in the circle, and she created space and then finished beautifully; one of the goals of the season.

From this point, the result didn’t ever look in doubt, and a third goal from Allen at a penalty corner wrapped things up, with the celebrations being delayed only by a brief stoppage for hail. An extraordinary set of results elsewhere determined the second relegation position, with bottom of the table Slough conjuring an unlikely draw with champions Bath - a result whose significance only became clear when news filtered through that Clifton Robinsons 2s had lost 3-0 at Trojans. That loss left Slough level on points with Clifton, and with an identical goal difference. Slough escaped relegation by virtue of having scored more goals, condemning Cheltenham and Clifton to the drop.

Marlow’s men headed to Bristol University on Sunday, needing a win to retain a chance of the title, should season-long league leaders Clifton Robinsons slip up with their own (much more difficult) away fixture at Ashmoor.

Whilst nothing is ever routine, Marlow met their half of the bargain by beating Bristol 4-0, with penalty corner goals from Tom McKinley and Callum White, and field goals from White and Jayden Zammler. At Ashmoor, meanwhile, Clifton nerves were settled by an early goal for the league leaders, before being shredded by two Ashmoor goals in five minutes early in the second quarter. The score remained 2-1 to Ashmoor for 44 long minutes, a result which would have seen Marlow promoted as champions in their first season in the England Hockey League, but a last minute penalty corner goal for Clifton gave them point they needed to take the title on goal difference. A cruel twist, but much to be proud of for Marlow after their first season at this level.

It is not overstating things to say that, after a slow start, Marlow ended the season as the strongest side in the league, and away teams, officials and supporters have been universally complimentary about the style of play, the skill levels, the quality of goalscoring, and the spirit with which the team has played. Many have remarked on the atmosphere at Pound Lane and the hospitality provided by the club; all strong signs for next season.

Elsewhere in the club, Marlow’s M3s, M4s, W5s and M7s all won their respective titles, and all the eleven other adult teams comfortably retained their league places. The M2s showed solidarity with the M1s by missing out on promotion by fine margins, while the W4s face a promotion play off.

Jess Rees-Gray, scorer of a brilliant goal for Marlow at Cheltenham
Picture courtesy of @GMWSportPhoto