Hailsham hockey champions

At the final whistle they learned Newhaven had lost a 2-1 lead to go down 3-2 to Penguins, which meant Hailsham leapfrogged them to tally 49 points, with Newhaven left with 47.

Hailsham ended the season with 16 wins out of 22, plus five losses and a draw. Since Christmas the record has been 11 wins from 11 games including one awarded result.

The game was delayed by 40 minutes as the opposition arrived late, and in pouring rain Hailsham started slowly, not playing with their normal fluidity. This may have been in part due to Middleton disputing decision after decision from the umpires.

Middleton took the early lead with a well-worked goal which frustrated Hailsham, and soon Sam Rham was walking to the sin-bin after reacting to a challenge which left Hailsham temporarily with ten players and 1-0 down at half-time.

The second half continued as the first, with Middleton arguing with nearly every decision, and soon the umpires's patience wore thin. A Middleton player was yellow-carded for arguing, and Hailsham took advantage of the extra space with a penalty corner soon won, and off the rebound youngster Tom Whitlock volleyed the ball home the equaliser.

Soon after Hailsham were awarded another penalty corner and again the Middleton players argued. This time the goalkeeper was yellow-carded.

Middleton readjusted and Hailsham failed to capitalise on the goalkeeper's absence. But when he was back on the pitch Hailsham again began to create chances and soon won another penalty corner, and Ben Coope scored.

The fractious attitude from Middleton continued and they were soon reduced to ten again when the previously yellow-carded player was red-carded for verbally abusing the umpire.

Hailsham won a few more penalty corners after their marauding attacks caused several stick tackles and illegal blocks in and around the D. Ben Coope struck again with a perfectly-hit shot into the bottom corner and Hailsham led 3-1 with five minutes to go. Middleton then had another player yellow-carded for dissent.