Holcombe’s men sealed top spot in the National Premier Division and a place in Europe next season after coming from behind to beat Beeston on Sunday afternoon.

Needing just a point from their penultimate game of the regular season to finish top, Holcs found themselves trailing 1-0 at the break after a penalty flick conversion past former Beeston keeper George Pinner.

Sam Ward smashed the equaliser into the net three minutes after the turnaround, though Pinner had to produce a fine save to keep out a penalty corner drag flick at the other end soon after.

Ward turned the game on its head when he pounced to ram in the rebound after a penalty corner strike from Ashley Jackson was blocked by the Bees keeper.

Ward went close to his third before James Stedman then returned from the sin-bin to make it 3-1 with a deflection from another Jackson set-piece strike.

Holcs turned on the style in the closing stages and Gareth Andrew went close to a spectacular fourth with a one-handed volley from a hoisted Iain Lewers aerial pass before Jackson sealed the win with a late penalty corner conversion.

Holcs had moved to within a point of the crown with a 3-1 win over Brooklands Manchester University on Saturday.

Ward broke the deadlock on 18 minutes and Andrew made it 2-0 two minutes later.

Skipper Richard Lane pulled one back for the visitors before the half-hour but Andrew’s second midway through the second half made the points safe, taking Holcs six points clear of Reading with two games remaining.