THE final round of the Yorkshire Youth Under-14 Girls' Hockey League saw Ben Rhydding four points clear at the top of the league but needing to secure at least two wins to make sure they finished the season at the top.

They were due to face three tough opponents but Hull withdrew at the last moment giving Ben Rhydding a win without putting a foot on the pitch.

This meant that they needed one more win but as their opponents were Doncaster and Sheffield the result was by no means certain.

The first game was against Doncaster who they had battled against the previous month and achieved a 1-1 draw. The teams were again very evenly matched and at the final whistle the score was 0-0.

In goal Jenna Appleby made some crucial saves, much to the relief of the Ben Rhydding supportersAC, and Karina ACAskilfully marked their star player out of the game.

Although it was a relief to notch up a draw against this strong side Ben Rhydding still needed a win. The girls knew that this was make or break time and were determined to give Sheffield a run for their money.

Again the sides were evenly matched but as time wore on Ben Rhydding played with added confidence and started to dominate. Tireless work from the midfield players Emma Flather, Laura Tweddle and Annabel Rose meant that the Sheffield defence found it difficult to move the ball out of their defending '25'.

The Ben Rhydding defence of Laura Beardsmore, Ellie Banks, Vicky Sutherland and Hayley Zillessen tackled hard to make life difficult for the opposition.

As a result of excellent supportive play the side netted two superb goals, one by Beth Pawson and the other by Raine Ellis. The third forward, Lucy Denison, played with great determination and it was her efforts that set up the first goal. In the dying seconds Sheffield scored resulting in a 2-1 victory for the Ben Rhydding side. They had done enough to secure the title of league winners. Mention must be made of Stacey Bolland, Emma Wood, Georgie Brown and Clare Dugdale, who are also members of the Under-14 squad.