Canterbury Ladies player-coach Jen Wilson says the club are ecstatic to have made the national hockey indoor semi-finals, despite a weekend which saw them borrow equipment from their rivals.

The city club will face Bowdon Hightown – who boast former Canterbury skipper Susannah Townsend in their ranks – at Kettering on Saturday after securing fourth place in the Premier Division at Bromsgrove last weekend.

However, the weekend was not drama free as a technical malfunction with the boot of a parent’s car led to Canterbury’s goalkeeper kit, stick bags and other items being stuck in the boot.

Wilson said: “It was a bizarre weekend. We knew it was going to be tough, so we were ecstatic to get through but even more so given the circumstances.

“We arrived well in advance and all prepared but when we went to take the kit out of the car, the boot was jammed. We called the AA and RAC but as it wasn’t an emergency, they weren’t able to help.

“The back seat didn’t go down and the only way into the boot was through a small opening for sliding skis through onto the back seat.

“We could get an arm through but couldn’t get anything out.

“The other teams knew what had happened and in the end, 30 minutes before our first game, I went around the other teams and started gathering items – pretty much begging.

“The support from the other teams was unbelievable, even teams we were going to be playing against. They all came through for us, even though they could have gained an advantage over us. I think we got something from everybody.”

The side made a slow start, falling 3-0 down in six minutes in their opening game against Reading before recovering to take a point and Wilson said: “It was bound to have an impact.

“Girls were running around in different shoes, the weight of the sticks they were using might have been different. One girl was without a gum shield and that is going to impact whether you put yourself into certain situations.

“We were ecstatic to make it through. We always thought that if we could get six points on Sunday, it would be enough and so it proved.”

She added: “Bowdon will be a tough game but it would be fantastic if we could make it to the final at Wembley Arena along with the (Canterbury) guys.”