The strength of Phoenix Hockey Club’s younger members has been highlighted by the success this year of the club’s ladies’ third team as they completed their mission to gain promotion to division four of the Essex Women’s League.

Ladies thirds’ captain Sandra Earley was delighted with her team’s finish that saw them finish second in division five, two points below champions Wapping, and credited much of their success to up and coming talent in the club.

She said: “We have been so lucky this season as we have had an influx of Blue Hornets players from the club’s youth section.

“They have done really well.

“There are five or six of us older ones who form the core of the side and the younger ones have come in and done an amazing job.

“I’d love to keep us all together for next year, but I think some of the younger onew will be moving up into the seconds and even the firsts.

“That’s great for them and the club and we’ll have another group coming up from the Blue Hornets so it’s very encouraging.”

The ladies’ thirds also boasted Phoenix Hockey Club’s leading goal-scorer across all their senior teams this year in 14-year-old Molly-Jo Saward.

She hit 16 goals to be the club’s top scorer.