Surbtion hope to give retiring coach Jon Royce a fitting send-off by lifting the English Hockey Cup this weekend.

But it will be a tall order, with league runners-up Cannock their semi-final opponents at Reading on Saturday.

The winners will face East Grinstead of Bowdon in the final on Sunday (3pm).

Seven Surbiton internationals had to get through a hectic final week of the league season ahead of finals weekend.

Richard Alexander, Matt Daly, Brett Garrard, Ben Marsden, James Tindall and Jamie Ruiz played for south-east England side against Canada's national team at Bisham Abbey last Thursday.

Alexander got England's second goal in a 3-2 defeat.

Surbiton's Peter Short was playing for Canada, who lost 3-0 to a south-west England squad - including Surbiton's Rob Moore, who is unavailable for cup finals weekend - and drew 2-2 with England Midshires.

Short plays three games for Canada against Scotland this week before flying back on Friday for the semi-final.

What looked like being an easy victory over Hampstead & Westminster in the final Slazenger EHL Premier Division fixture of the season on Sunday ended a nervy 4-3 win.

Surbiton raced into a 3-0 lead early in the second half thanks to two goals from Aussie James Mulcair and an awesome smashed shot from Tindall.

But, after Tindall was taken to hospital for five stiches to a head wound, Hampstead's Andy Cornick pulled one back.

Daly's penalty corner to make it 4-1, proved vital as Surbiton spent the rest of the match on the back foot.

Keeper Ed Yates made a point-blank save before Cornish made it 4-2. Surbiton had Steve Richardson yellow-carded for five minutes and Will Naylor made pulled a third back in the last minute.