Newmarket Hockey Club celebrate promotion for Ladies' first team after win against Pelicans

It is back-to-back East Women’s League promotions for Newmarket after the curtain came down on the Division 2 North West season on Saturday.

Newmarket, who will be playing Division 1 hockey next term, got the job done at the weekend with a 2-1 home victory at the expense of third-placed Pelicans.

It was the visitors that started brightly in the battle between two of the division’s in-form sides, with Newmarket goalkeeper Jersey Bennett forced into action on a number of occasions.

Up the other end it took Newmarket some time to settle but once they did the breakthrough came. Charlotte Redden was the scorer as she applied the finishing touch to a flowing move up the right wing.

However, Pelicans were level within five minutes when a short corner from Jane Proctor was dispatched beyond Bennett.

The second half was littered with fouls and green cards as Pelicans searched for the win that would see them finish above their hosts and go up in their place.

And it was from one of those infringements in the Pelicans D that Newmarket scored what turned out to be the winning goal.

Sisters Lydia and Grace Evans combined to positive effect as they exchanged passes before the latter swept the ball past the Pelicans goalkeeper.

After that Newmarket saw the game out in a professional manner before learning that Kettering had won elsewhere to secure the league title, meaning they had to settle for promotion as runners-up.

Elsewhere, Newmarket III finished seventh in the East Women’s League Division 5 North West following their 3-0 derby loss to Ely City III.

In the East Men’s League Division 2 North East, Newmarket lost by a single goal for the seventh time this season as they suffered a 3-2 defeat to Norwich Dragons.

Tenth-placed Newmarket were behind inside 45 seconds and conceded twice more before goals from Matt Holden and Olly Trent set up a grandstand finish.

Newmarket II, who finished sixth in the East Men’s League Division 4 North East, suffered a 2-0 defeat at Harleston Magpies V.

Ben Ennion-Smith’s goal was not enough to prevent Newmarket III from slipping to a 3-1 defeat to Ipswich Cranes in the East Men’s League Division 5 North East (South).

Nevertheless, the team’s fifth-placed finish marked their most successful campaign in the last six years.