Harpenden Hockey Club’s men’s 1sts picked up a 2-0 victory over Blueharts 2nds and their fourth straight win in the East League Division 2S on Saturday.

Harps are finishing the season on a high, but it’s a campaign that will be tinged with regret because they could have been fighting for so much more than survival.

After opening the season with a draw and a loss, Harpenden went on a five game winning streak that started with a comprehensive win over Wapping 2nds, who were this weekend crowned as champions. In the top two, Harpenden looked like they would be challenging for promotion.

They then went into a tailspin and crashed to seven losses in a row. They emerged from the wreckage in a relegation battle, but seemingly unharmed as they thrashed Letchworth 2nds 7-0 away from home. And they won their next two.

Back in the driving seat, Harpenden are catching up to their early season form and are one win after from matching the streak. Win number four of the current run came at the expense of Blueharts. A 2-0 scoreline wasn’t the most convincing but it also doesn’t tell the whole story.

Blueharts’ goalkeeper superbly saved a Lance Boyd-Clarke penalty flick to keep the game scoreless after a half that the visitors posed the bigger threat.

The pressure resulted in goals in the second period as Reece Baker-Kiff and then Mike Bowler finished off superb team moves to hand Harpenden the win.

They will look to extend their streak to five on Saturday when second-placed East London come to Woollams.