Blue Hornets Felsted Hockey Club youngsters will be featuring on the national stage against the biggest teams in the country after emerging victorious at the Regional Finals.

The club’s under-12 girls and under-14 boys were both successful.

The under-12 girls started with a 0-0 draw against Ipswich and a 2-0 defeat of Canterbury in their group games to set up a semi-final against Harleston Magpies, that they won when keeper Jasmine Kenny made an incredible save in a sudden-death penalty shootout.

That set up a final against Ipswich that Hornets won 2-0 to take them into the national finals.

Performances of note on the day came from Phoebe Cracknell, whose defence never faltered and the courage of the penalty takers Affrica Hamilton, Lizzy Bull and Ellie Barlow, but player-of-the-tournament was Kenny, who didn’t let in a single goal in open play.

The under-14 boys headed to Leicester for their regional finals and started with a 3-1 win against Stourport, before a 1-0 win against the hosts and a 1-1 draw against Norwich City that secured their place in the national stages.

There were many brilliant individual performances on the day.

Jonny Hoile and Barnaby Stoner were immense in creating scoring chances, Ollie Stonham’s short corners were also vital and player-of-the-tournament went to left-back Peter Hall.

Hornets’ under-ten girls and boys both also played very well in their respective tournaments making it out of the group stages and into the semi-finals before taking creditable third places.

The under-12 boys struggled to make it out of the group stages at their event and lost out to eventual winners Saffron Walden.