THE dynamic young ladies team from Ely Roller Hockey Club announced their arrival on the national stage in style after being crowned UK Club Champions last week. The team, which included five 12 year-old players, weren t expected to feature at the tourna

THE dynamic young ladies' team from Ely Roller Hockey Club announced their arrival on the national stage in style after being crowned UK Club Champions last week.

The team, which included five 12 year-old players, weren't expected to feature at the tournament, which boasted several teams packed full of England players, but upset all the odds by cruising to victory.Ely started the competition against Bury, who fielded a number of players in the England squad. There were few chances for either team in a nervy first-half with the scores deadlocked at 0-0 at the break. Stout defence coupled with shrewd finishing in the second-half however, allowed Ely to come away with a crucial 1-0 victory.

The second match against Middlesborough was awarded to Ely by default as the opposition team failed to field an eligible goalkeeper, leaving just the decider against Plymouth for the championship.

The final match itself was an equally daunting affair as the last two had been for the young Ely side as they came up against a host of experienced England players on the Plymouth team.

The magnitude of the occasion got to Ely somewhat in the early stages as they gifted Plymouth an easy goal in the opening five minutes.

Ely rode their luck several times and had to rely on Hattie Ford in goal to keep them in the match but they remained determined to grind out a result and, after a late flurry,

they equalised with just a minute left on the clock, gifting them the all important point and the championship.