HOCKEY: Champions Littlehampton thrash Crawley 3rd in final game

Littlehampton had secured the title the previous week with a 3-2 win over St Francis 2nd and Saturday's victory was their 18th from their 22 league games.

They also passed 100 goals for the season with their second goal on Saturday.

Top-scorer Jon Miles also added another hat-trick to take his tally for the season to 42 goals.

Miles had started the season as captain but Steve Jenkins took over during the campaign, so Miles could just concentrate on playing and Jenkins hailed a fantastic season for the club: "It's been great. It's been a lot of hard work but there were a lot of happy people at the end of the game on Saturday.

"We re-formed three seasons ago and were aiming for promotion in our first season back but things didn't go our way as getting a regular side out was problematic.

"The same thing happened last season, before the league got re-structured for this season.

"Four teams got promoted, so promotion was our target, but then four good teams, including some veteran sides, came up, so it proved to be a very difficult league to get out of.

"But we had a great team spirit and a really solid squad, who played pretty much the whole season together.

"That meant everyone was able to gel and it showed in our performances.

We played a very attacking style of hockey, with two at the back, three in midfield and five up front and if anyone wanted to beat us, they'd have to score more than us."

Littlehampton will now be back in the Sussex League Premier Division – where they were when they disbanded – and Jenkins said: "We feel it's our rightful place to be up there as that was the division we were in when we disbanded, so it's good to be back up there.

"But we want to build on the club's success now and get school children to come and play for the club."

On Saturday, Miles gave Littlehampton an early lead but Crawley levelled before half-time.

Littlehampton grabbed their 100th goal of the season early in the second half when Damien Jenkins prodded a short corner to Tony Thompson, who fired home.

The floodgates then opened and David Macdonald, with a sweet strike from another short corner, scored his first goal for the club after he returned at the start of the season, following a 30-year absence.

Thompson, with a penalty flick, and Simon Judd, after a superb run and pass from Stuart Sexton, moved Littlehampton 5-1 ahead.

Phil Akrill then scored after excellent work from James Cullern before Miles netted twice to complete his hat-trick.

LITTLEHAMPTON: Keeley; Thompson, Phillips, D.Clark, D.Macdonald, Gardner, Warner, S.Jenkins, Judd, Miles, Sexton. Subs: D.Jenkins, Akrill, O.Clarke, Cullern, Windust.

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