West Herts Hockey Club finished a creditable fourth place at the Hockey 5s National Indoor Hockey Championships at the weekend but the Stags were disappointed to miss out on promotion.

West Herts had hoped a strong performance would seal their passage into Division One but they got off to a bad start on Saturday as Indian Gymkhana completed an impressive 11-6 victory.

An entertaining contest against Sheffield Hallam followed with 16 goals evenly shared between the two sides.

On Sunday the Stags went out all guns blazing as they looked for the points which would secure promotion from Division Two.

A match against favourites Wimbledon saw West Herts lose 8-2 but they responded and recorded a 7-4 win against Harleston Magpies.

The outcome of the final game was made irrelevant by results elsewhere but Herts made sure of a fourth place finish by beating Cheltenham 8-3.

Elsewhere, West Herts Ladies completed an 8-1 victory against Ipswich IIs in the East Premier Division.

The Stags began the game brightly and went ahead from a short corner as Becky Perry found the net.

Jen Black was next on the score sheet after chipping the ball home and Harriet Preest added a third.

In the second period Herts’ goal rush started. Anna Coppel netted three times, Perry got her second of the game before Preest finished the rout.

Ipswich scored a consolation goal from the penalty spot but a comprehensive win sees Herts leapfrog the Suffolk side into fourth place.

The men’s second team claimed their first away points of the season in East Division One after a 7-2 win against Ely City. The goals were scored by Tom Beak (2), Mike Tempest (2), Nick Carr, Pete Corbridge and Steve George.

The Thirds lost 6-1 to Shefford & Sandy 6-1 in Division 3SW, the Fourths were beaten 3-1 by Luton Town Seconds in Division 4SW and the Fifths conceded four goals without reply against Harpenden Fourths in Division 5SW.

A disappointing set of results for the men was completed as the Sixths went down to a 3-1 loss against Broxbourne Fourths while the Sixths were beaten 3-1 by Stevenage Sixths.

The Ladies’ Seconds drew 2-2 with St Albans Fourths in Five Counties Premier, the Thirds were beaten 2-1 by Harpenden Seconds in Five Counties Division One, the Fourths lost 3-2 against Leighton Buzzard Fourths in Division Three. The Fifths fared better as they recorded a 5-1 win against Welwyn Garden City Fourths.