KENT'S hockey men won the national title for the first time in 23 years after a thrilling finish to the County Championship finals at Milton Keynes.

The squad, coached by Canterbury's Giles Osborne, beat holders Warwickshire 4-2 on penalties after the final at the National Stadium had finished 3-3.

Kent, whose last national success was in 1978/79, had won through to the final with a last-gasp 3-2 semi-final victory over Lancashire.

Player-coach Osborne said the players wanted to dedicate the win to former coach, Andy Holmes, who died of cancer just after Christmas. Holmes had been working with the county squad when his illness was diagnosed.

Osborne said: "Andy's masterplan was for us to win the national title in two years but he fell ill after getting things started. The victory was particularly poignant because we had been to a ball in Andy's memory at Charlton Athletic Football Club the night before."