City’s destiny will be decided by three games in nine days

Hockey - Crunch time for the boys from Bretton Gate

City of Peterborough’s destiny will be decided by a spell of three games in nine days.

Wins against Letchworth at home on Saturday (1pm) and away to Bedford (March 17) and Chelmsford (March 18) will clinch the East Premier A Division title and a return to the National League. City should have travelled to Chelmsford last weekend, but the entire East League programme for men and women was postponed because of snow and ice.

Letchworth should be the easiest of the remaining tasks, although City don’t have to travel too far back in time to find to a warning sign.

“Letchworth are a team who can cause problems for anyone on their day,” City manager Graham Finding admitted.

“They drew with us in this fixture last season and, although we won 8-0 at their place this season, there were times in that game when they looked decent.

“We can’t afford to be complacent.”

City are two points clear of second-placed Wapping and four points ahead of thirdplaced St Albans. The latter have a game in hand.

City’s game at Bedford is the tough one, but Wapping also still have Bedford to play, while St Albans have a tough game against Harleston in their schedule.

Spalding need to find a couple of wins from their final four games to avoid an instant return to the Premier B Division and Saturday’s home match against Saffron Walden presents a decent opportunity.

Wisbech will be relegated from the Premier B Division if they don’t win at home to champions Cambridge City.

City of Peterborough Ladies have a tricky game on Saturday in their battle for second spot in the East Premier Division.

City are poised to finish runners-up to championselect Ipswich, but they will be tested at Sevenoaks seconds. Chelmsford Saffron Walden Ipswich Blueharts Spalding

PREMIER B DIVISION P W (P) Cambridge C II19 16 Norwich C Wapping II Ipswich & ES Bourne Deeping 19 8 Dereham Waltham Forest Havering City of P’boro II West Herts II Wisbech 19 19 19 18 18 19 10 18 8 18 18 19 19 18 19 Cambridge Uni II 18 4 4 1 1 11 8 7 7 7 6 3 2

DIVISION ONE (Bottom four) P W D Bishop’sStortford18 6 4 2 4 3

D1 3 2 5 4 3 4 3 3 2 3 3 3 11 13 14 14

L2 4 7 5 7 7 7 9 9 10 13 -54 14 40 49 13 -22 L GD Pts 9 -24 -52 -64 15 10 5 4 1 -13 4 -9 -6 -29 -11 16 7 6 36 32 29 28 27 25 24 24 20 12 9 21

Key City of Peterborough player Ben Read (red).