Tomorrow, Surbiton Ladies play their most important league game of the season, as they visit second-placed Ipswich (1.15 pm), knowing that defeat will almost certainly end their hopes of winning the Conference East and participation in the end of season promotion playoffs.

Surbiton ended their run of four league games without a win, thrashing Cambridge City, who are almost certainly heading for the relegation playoffs as a result of a current run of eleven successive defeats, 6-1 at Sugden Road on Saturday.

Vicky Bryant opened the scoring by deflecting a penalty corner past visiting goalkeeper, Lisa Griffin in the 19th minute; Helen Grant doubling the lead, also from a penalty corner, four minutes later.

By half time, Surbiton were in control, Jessica Brooker adding a third goal, only awarded after the umpires consulted following a protest by the visitors, two minutes before the break.

Kellie-Lee James, Cambridge’s top scorer, pulled a goal back five minutes into the second half, but two excellent individual goals gave Surbiton a 5-1 lead.

First, Grant scored her ninth goal of the season, with a determined run into the circle, and strike in the 46th minute; then defender Bethan Jenkins came out of defence, displaying possession skills and smashing the ball from the edge of the circle four minutes later.

The rout was completed in the last minute, Emma Rowland-Jones slotting home a penalty stroke.

With three games remaining, Sevenoaks opened up a three point lead over Ipswich, after winning 2-0 at Dereham, and Ipswich lost 3-1 at Chelmsford, who dropped to fourth behind Surbiton on goal difference.

Surbiton Ladies’ second team had a double celebration at the weekend, clinching promotion from the Surrey Ladies League to the South Clubs’ Women’s Hockey League; and reaching the Second XI Cup final by beating Ipswich 3-0.

On Saturday, goals from Emma Elsom, Molly Hanson-Akins, Katelyn Aitchison, and Jemma Norton gave the seconds a 4-0 home win over Spencer and the league championship with four games to spare.

The following day, Rowland-Jones, Sian Craze, and Kelly Morgan all scored to earn a place in the cup final against the University of Birmingham, at Cannock on 10 April.

And the Under 18 Girls also reached the round-robin finals of their national cup with a 4-1 Quarter-Final win away to local rivals Teddington.

Surbiton needed three goals in the last eight minutes to make sure of their place, Sophie Newton having given them the lead in the first half, only for Teddington’s Juliette Inverdale to equalise from the penalty spot early in the second half.

Two late goals from Lucy Clacher, and one from Emma Broad ensured Surbiton qualified for the round-robin finals at Canterbury on 9/10 April, where they will play Belper, Wakefield, and Firebrands.