West Herts Hockey Club have secured their NOW: Pensions National League status for next season thanks to a resounding 10-3 victory over Chichester Priory Park.

The Stags only won promotion to the National League Conference East last season but currently sit third in the standings after Saturday’s resounding victory.

Head coach Matt Grinham was full of praise for his team and said: “I am really pleased with the season, it has been a fantastic effort by the players who have worked so hard all year. To have secured their place in the league with three games to go is superb.

“The goal was to stay up and with the strongest team – Holcombe – to come on the final game of the season, we knew we could not rely on that one to stay up.”

Grinham added: “Each year we want to improve. This year was about consolidation but next year we want to get bigger as a club, build a bigger squad and be stronger.”

The Stags opened the scoring early through Max Webster and three minutes later, brother Dan dispatched the ball into the bottom corner – his first of four on the day.

A second followed from a short corner and Dan Webster completed his hat-trick after 19 minutes from the penalty spot. Pete Corbridge then added a fifth before half time after Chichester had pulled one back.

Within a minute of the restart Dan Webster had his fourth from a low reverse shot.

Two minutes later Shea O’Sullivan finally got in on the action, slotting into the far right-hand corner. But two lapses in defence allowed Chichester to peg the Stags back to 7-3.

But the respite was only temporary as Terry Kynaston and O’Sullivan added to the tally.

Herts had found their killer instinct and four minutes from time Max Webster got his second and Herts’ tenth.

After the elation of Saturday’s result, the Stags came up short 24 hours later as they lost 2-1 at relegation-threatened Brighton and Hove.

West Herts fell 2-0 behind inside the first 20 minutes but the visitors improved steadily and Dan Webster scored his 21st of the season to halve the deficit.

Despite their best efforts after the restart, Herts were unable to snare a share of the spoils, going closest from a short corner at the death.

In the Ladies East Premier, West Herts remain second after beating Norwich Dragons 3-2 and drawing with Canterbury Seconds.

They are still second in the table, five points off the top, and have Bromley & Beckenham breathing down their necks with two games in hand, one of which is against the Stags.

West Herts men’s Seconds went down 4-1 at leaders Wapping in Division Two South, while the thirds won 5-3 at Royston in Division Three South West.

The Fourths crushed Bishop’s Stortford 7-1 in a ruthless display in Division Five South West but the Fifths lost a seven-goal thriller 4-3 at Potters Bar in Division Six South West.

In Division Seven South West, the Stags’ Sixths lost 3-1 at Luton Vagrants, with the Sevenths 5-1 winners over Stevenage Fifths in Division Nine South West.

Elsewhere, there was a comfortable 3-0 win for the Ladies’ Thirds against St Albans Fourths in the Five Counties Premier.

In Five Counties Division One, the Thirds triumphed 2-1 at Hertford. The Fourths trounced Royston Seconds 6-1 in Division Two, while the Fifths dispatched Royston Fourths 10-0 in Division Five.