Holcombe ladies manager Kevin Johnson says all the pressure is on Surbiton ahead of their play-off semi-final on Saturday.

Surbiton are unbeaten in two years and they beat Holcs twice in the regular season en route to winning the Investec Women’s League, Premier Division.

Johnson’s side grabbed the final play-off spot by winning five of their last six games and now have a shot at European qualification.

“Experiencing the occasion is key for us,” Johnson said. “My message is to go out and enjoy it.

“When you finish top, there’s a lot of pressure to maintain that but when you come fourth, you haven’t got a huge amount to lose.

“There’s a lot more pressure on Surbiton to maintain their position as the best in the country. That gives us licence to go out and enjoy the experience and get what we can.

“If we’re in and among it, we’ve got the quality in certain moments in the game to capitalise.”

An ankle injury rules Sarah Robertson out of Holcombe’s first play-off campaign and Johnson isn’t sure who else he will have available at Lee Valley.

He added: “We are one of the form teams in the division because of the way we finished the regular season. That’s what gives us the confidence, going into the play-offs, that we can go toe-to-toe with any of the top four.

“If you want to win the thing, you’re either going to play Surbiton in the semi or the final.

“They’re a good unit, they’ve played together for a long time and they’ve got quality in defence, midfield and attack. The fact they’re unbeaten for two years is testament to how well organised they are and how consistent their players have been."