IT may not have been their most fluent display of the season, but Witham Hockey Club's men's first team got the job done that they needed to in securing their place back in division two of the East League.

To realise their promotion dream, Witham knew they needed to beat Southend on the final day of the campaign and for rivals Maldon to either lose one of their two final games or not overturn a sizeable goal difference deficit.

So for them to win 7-4 at Southend and seeing Maldon lose at Redbridge and Ilford, meant the promotion bubbly could come off the ice as Witham bid farewell to division three south after just one season at the lower level.

Captain Richard Marshall said: "It was a tough game and we didn't play well as it was very hot and we kept making mistakes.

"However, we scored seven goals so we must have done something right.

"It was good to get early goals as we could keep Southend at arm's length throughout and I never thought it wouldn't work out for us, but it was one of those games where the result was more important than the performance.

"I couldn't say why we didn't play well.

"I don't think it was nerves, but people just didn't seem comfortable.

"However, we will just celebrate the result and the promotion as we've achieved what we set out to do this year."

Marshall said the men's promotion had been warmly received by the club ahead of a busy summer when their pitch was due to be relaid and he hoped the return to the higher level would attract some new players.

The skipper added: "It is good for the club when the first team gets promoted as it can help to bring in new faces.

"As a club, you want your first team to be playing as high as possible and everyone is really happy.

"Hopefully we can now maintain our position.

"Last year, when we came down, we felt it was unfortunate given the number of games that we'd won, and division two is a level that we know, so I don't see any reason why we can't do well in it.

"We always seem to do better against better opposition and we'll be coming up against those stronger team, so hopefully it will bring out the best in us."