West Herts men secured the chance to play for promotion after finishing second in the National Indoor Hockey Division 2S Hockey 5s tournament last weekend.

The team will now have the chance to seal a place in the second tier when they play in Bristol on January 18 and 19.

West Herts have previously struggled to make progress in this competition but a comfortable 9-1 demolition of local rivals St Albans was the perfect start to their campaign.

Another dominant performance against West Country side Ashmoor, resulting in a 10-3 win, then put them in pole position going into day two.

In a nail-biting game, West Herts struggled to impose themselves on Indian Gymkhana who were playing an open and expansive style of play.

However the Watford outfit eventually prevailed 12-10 to secure vital points for their promotion push.

National Premier League side Wimbledon proved stiff opposition and the game was a tight affair with West Herts forging into a 5-3 lead at half-time.

However Wimbledon showed their experience and skill as they scored quickly after the break and maintained their lead to win 12-6.

West Herts' best performance of the weekend came in their final game as they defeated Chelmsford 8-2.

Technical director Steve Sieff said: “Overall the squad continues their impressive development with more and more members looking like accomplished national indoor players with an increasing level of sophistication in the tactics and strategy they are able to employ.”