The first team at St Albans Hockey Club may have had a disappointing year but that didn’t apply to the rest of the ladies section beneath them.

The stars for the Oaklands College-based club were the thirds who were crowned champions in the East League Division Two South West.

They had two games left of their scheduled 20 to play when the season was suspended but after 15 wins and one draw their record was enough to clinch the top spot.

A spokeswoman said: “We had approximately 30 players who played for us in total but a core group who played each week. There was a great team effort and spirit throughout the whole year.”

Pushing them for the top crown were the fifths who were also promoted, this time from 5 Counties Division Two, after finishing second.

Having set out to develop and transition the young talent through the club, they more than proved themselves in a delightful season.

Led by skipper Gemma Little and Lucy Briscoe they scored 86 goals and conceded just 16. Nikki Davis topped the scoring charts with 17.

The second, fourth and sixth teams all finished seventh in their respective division.

It was a season of change and challenge for the twos with a new coach and new players in East League Premier A.

There were some tough losses but also some truly impressive performances such as the 4-1 win at home to City of Peterborough.

Their final position with five teams below them should be enough to keep them in the top flight of the East League and they will hope the important lessons learned will make them a force to be reckoned with next season.

The fourths played in the 5 Counties Premier Division and had an upturn in fortunes after Christmas to thank for their final position, ending the season with six unbeaten fixtures and comfortably safe from relegation.

They started the season with eight new players and fielded 14 juniors through the course of the year.

Notable performances include a 2-0 win at home against second in the league Potters Bar in the penultimate game of the season, having lost to them 4-2 before Christmas.

A bumpy start also affected the sixths in 5 Counties Division Three but the youngsters grew in confidence as the year went on as they adapted to senior hockey.

The sevenths meanwhile finished in fifth position in 5 Counties Division Four, a great season with some excellent team performances in a fun environment.

Finally the Bodiceas avoided relegation from 5 Counties Division Two after battling to ninth position.

A spokeswoman said: “There were lots of very close games and we were hugely competitive as always.

“Thanks for all the support and special shout out to the umpires.”