PETERSFIELD’S men’s second team ended their season with a 4-1 win against Gosport 1898, which sees them win Hampshire Division 9 and gain promotion for the second year running.

The team was put together two seasons ago with a mixture of players from the Petersfield Veterans team, players returning to hockey after a time away from the sport, and teenage boys who had become too old to play for the under-16 squad but needed further development before they were ready for the first team.

Even younger players have since joined the team, following the withdrawal of the under-16 boys’ team from the Hampshire League. Under the guidance of Duncan McDermot, who has managed the team from the start, the players have become a strong, unified team, with the mix of ages being an asset to the development of the squad. The team has won 17 of their 18 games this season, with a total of 79 goals scored and just 23 goals conceded.

As a development squad the team have shown what can be achieved when the right mix of age and experience are put together – so much so that a third men’s team is being considered for next season to allow more players of all ages to play every week.

The team won their division with a 14-point advantage over their nearest rivals, with every one of the following players having played their part in achieving this: Jack Symes, Tom McDermot, Cyrus Wong, Ethan Francis, Albert Wassenberg, Charlie Anderson, Archie MacFarlane, Joe Carter, Callum King, Tom Knowles, John Budden, Harry Stapleton, Alex Burns, Ben Hardy, Mickey O’Kelly, Mike Brown, Nick Budden, Paul Francis, James Cooke-Priest, Matt Williams, Mark Knowles, Phil Cornelius, Gerry Conran, Chris Wood, Mark Bilsland, Stuart Martin and Mark Broadmeadow.