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Jen Wilson says it would be phenomenal if Canterbury Ladies could make it a hockey club double at Wembley but insists their focus is solely on Saturday’s semi-final against Bowdon Hightown.
The ladies are just a win away from joining the Polo Farm men on the Wembley bill for the Sky Sports-televised Hockey 5s Championship finals on January 25 after reaching the last four of the women’s competition.
The city club snatched fourth place in the national Premier Division at Bromsgrove in dramatic circumstances on Sunday, scoring enough goals against Clifton in their final game to overhaul rivals Reading, before seeing Sutton Coldfield – the only side who could pip them with a win – lose their final game.
Canterbury began the weekend with a 5-4 win over Bowdon on Saturday and followed up with a 4-2 win over the University of Birmingham.
The ladies were edged out 3-2 by Slough on Sunday morning but bounced back with a 7-2 success against Clifton – South African star Dirkie Chamberlain netting five times – to pip Reading to the last semi-final berth by two goals.
Eliza Brett (3), Susie Rowe (3), Sarah Kerly (2), Nikki Lloyd (2), Mel Clewlow and Grace Balsdon were also on target through the weekend.
Player-coach Wilson said the result against table-toppers Bowdon – who claimed only one point in their final two games – would not impact on Saturday’s clash between the sides at Kettering (6pm).
She said: “Playing Hightown is always a testing game and that result probably doesn’t mean a lot. We have picked up things about them but they will have done the same about us.
“There are bound to be goals but with so much at stake, there could be a long spell of figuring each other out again to start with.”
The winner will take on either East Grinstead or Slough in the final, although Wilson insisted: “All our focus is on this game. We’re not even thinking about the final. As a club, it would be a phenomenal to have the men’s and ladies teams at Wembley.”
Controversially both men’s semi-finals and final take place at Wembley but the final is the only women’s game played at the arena.
Wilson said: “To play in an atmosphere like Wembley is special for players but not everyone has done it, so they won’t know the difference.
“You could play it in a tiny box somewhere and it wouldn’t make any difference. Everyone knows what’s at stake.”