St Albans Hockey Club men’s first team kept their promotion hopes alive with a thrilling come-from-behind win at City of Peterborough.

Ian Scanlon grabbed two as Saints scored from three late penalty corners on to claim a 3-2 success.

South African international Lance Louw, who has been running free hockey sessions at St Albans senior and junior schools as well as coaching the St Albans HC juniors and academy, got the third.

The win lifts Saints into second, and the final promotion spot, of the East League Premier A Division, ahead of their opponents on goal difference.

It was Peterborough’s first home defeat for 18 months and came because of a bold move by head coach Andy Halliday who took the decision to withdraw goalkeeper Iain Fraser for an extra attacker.

That player was Scanlon and it was his low thunderbolt which began the comeback before a high drag flick stole the points with the final touch of the game.

The win sets up a showdown with top of the league Wapping at 3pm this Saturday at Oaklands College.

In other games the Ladies 1st team were unlucky to go down 1-0 at Wimbledon while the 2nds followed a fine 2-1 league win against Harleston Magpies on Saturday with a magnificent performance in their national cup semi-final at Birmingham University on Sunday until a last-minute equaliser led to the agony of a penalty shootout defeat.

The men’s 3rd team are already London League Division Four champions and the 2nds beat Old Loughts 2-0 to go third in London League Division One.

There were wins too for the men’s 4ths, 7ths, 8ths and Praetorians.