Ben Rhydding under-12 girls completed their season by finishing third in their first ever National Hockey Finals in Cannock.

In their opening match versus Teddington, Rhydding started well and were quickly into their stride, with Kirsty McMillan, Evie Malir and Rebecca Hadfield controlling midfield.

Anna Pateman almost scored in the first minute, but her shot was well saved.

Minutes later, McMillan found Pateman in space in the D, and after drawing two defenders and the keeper towards her, she unselfishly slipped the ball across goal to Hadfield to finish at the right post.

Teddington responded, but solid defending from Rachel Scott and Nisha Cant, kept goalkeeper Sophie Dale well protected as a 1-0 win was secured.

Rhydding’s next opponents were Worcester, who started the stronger.

The Rhydding struggled to find their rhythm and Dale was kept busy in goal.

Worcester opened the scoring midway through the half and then added a second just before half-time.

The second half was a different tale. Rhydding attacked from the whistle, and earned a short corner, which Pateman duly dispatched.

With the large Rhydding travelling support roaring them on, the girls upped their game and dominated the half, producing attack after attack and with less than two minutes left a Hadfield cross was deflected into the goal by the under pressure Worcester goal keeper.

Rhydding then pushed for the winner, but ran out of time, and had to settle for a 2-2 draw.

Rhydding’s third pool match was against Isca from Exeter, who defended deep and attacked on the break.

Two good early chances for Rhydding were squandered, and Isca continued to with their tactic and found the net twice before the break.

Rhydding fell further beind in the second half before Evie Malir gave them hope with a well-worked goal.

Two late goals saw Isca run out 5-1 winners and end Rhydding’s unbeaten run of 41 games.

Worcester had won all their four matches and qualified for the final, but Rhydding, Isca and Tedding- ton were all on four points going into their last game.

Rhydding knew a good start was key against Broxbourne and they soon dominating the match.

Hadfield opened the scoring after five minutes from a short corner and Pateman added a second on the stroke of half-time.

With the scores still deadlocked on the adjacent pitch, things were looking promising for Rhydding.

Pateman added two more goals to complete her hat-trick early in the second half, the latter of those with an impressive strike, to seal a 4-0 win.

Rhydding had a nervous minute’s wait while the remaining fixture on the adjacent pitch played out a last-gasp penalty corner.

The final whistle blew, with the scores goalless, which meant Rhydding had finished second in the group and would play Salisbury HC, who had finished second in the other group.

Buoyant from their return to form in the previous fixture, Rhydding dominated the whole of the match, but with Salisbury defending well and their keeper in inspired form, it took until the last minute of second half for Hatfield to split the defence before laying the ball off to an unmarked Pateman to score her 45th goal of the season.

Salisbury re-started and managed to find space in the Rhydding D, and when their centre forward finally smashed her shot towards the roof of the net, Dale had already advanced from her line to take the shot full in the chest.

From the resulting melee, Salisbury were awarded a penalty corner.

The final whistle blew, and the whole Salisbury team set themselves around the Rhydding D.

The tension was unbear- able, but when the shot was half charged down by Pateman it allowed Malir to clear, and clinch the bronze-medal position.

Ben Rhydding have played 44 matches this season, winning 36, drawing seven and losing just one.They have scored 90 goals and let in only 15. It has been quite a season.