West Herts Hockey Club are celebrating one of the best weekends in their history with the ladies winning promotion to the National League and the men safeguarding their NHL East Conference status after an emphatic 5-1 win over promotion-chasing Sevenoaks.

The men’s Seconds also took a big step towards promotion while the men’s Fourths were crowned champions and the Fifths secured promotion.

Club president Mark Twine said: “Without doubt it was one of the best weekends for West Herts in what is turning out to be a great year for the club. It’s all down to the hard work from the players, coaches and people behind the scenes.

"West Herts is growing from strength to strength and is on track to achieve our ambition in becoming the top club in the region for all levels of hockey.”

However, it was hard to predict such a glory weekend when the men’s first team fell behind five minutes into their match against Sevenoaks. But Iain Gordon got their equaliser on 24 minutes and two minutes later they took the lead.

Max Webster added the third to give them breathing space and Shea O’Sullivan the fourth before Webster completed the scoring with his second to cue the celebrations.

The ladies’ Firsts were also partying as they won the East Premier League with three games to spare following a 4-2 win at Maidstone. They will now play in the National League for the first time in their 27-year history.

They were two up inside ten minutes with Rachel Findlay and Anna McGlaughlin netting from penalty corners before Emma Ross added the third on the stroke of half-time.

Maidstone briefly threatened a comeback, scoring first in the second half, but when Anna Coppel swept in the fourth the outcome was never in doubt despite Maidstone scoring again. And, with second-placed Bedford drawing with Tunbridge Wells, the championship was decided.

The men’s Seconds beat promotion rivals Wapping 4-1 with goals from Tommy Almond, Pete Corbridge, Jem Lowen and Dan Scott to leapfrog the Londoners into second place in East Division One, while the Thirds beat Harpenden 4-3 with strikes from George Thomas (2), Luke Frey and Morné Hoffman relegating their opponents.

The men’s Fourth team were crowned champions of Division Five South West despite losing 3-2 to Stevenage while the Fifth team wrapped up promotion from Division Seven South West after a 4-0 win over second-placed Luton Vagrants thanks to goals from Hayden Langford and Tim Le Bouef.

The men’s Sevenths were also among the goals with Matthew Meyers (2), Kim Waddup, Shasza Paterson-Jones and Pal Seyan seeing off Berkhamsted 5-0.

West Herts ladies' Seconds and Sudbury drew 0-0 in East Division Two C, but it was a different story in the Five Counties Premier Division where Sam Blissett and Tanita Montgomery wrapped up a 2-0 win over Broxbourne Seconds to virtually guarantee safety for the Thirds.

Rachel Aldridge was the star for the ladies' Fourths, bagging a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Leighton Buzzard in Five Counties Division Two, while Jenny Staines finished one short of that tally with a brace in the Fifths’ 5-0 win at Milton Keynes where Jemima Dawkins, Gabriella Holland and Liz Milford also netted.