Following their recent success at Bedford, the Isle of Man men’s hockey team travelled to Nottingham to play a promotion playoff with Surrey at the weekend.

The English County Championships have been played since 1957, split into divisions and until 2017 the Isle of Man had always remained in the lowest C division.

In May last year the team travelled to Portsmouth and won six games out of six to gain promotion, and this season toppled the B division group at Bedford at the first attempt.

However, the B division is split into two and the top teams in Bedford go forward to play-off for promotion to the A division.

The morning dawned wet, but the facilities at Nottingham are first class and the game began on the dot at 10.30am last Saturday.

The Isle of Man team started brightly and after four minutes Alex Bell found himself one-on-one with the Surrey keeper, calmly rounding him to slot the island in front.

Further opportunities arose, with Tim Henderson, Robin Masson and Chris Whiting all having chances to double the lead but the ball just wouldn’t go in.

Late in the half Surrey exerted a period of pressure and from their first penalty corner an equaliser was scored.

Nearing half-time a piece of individual skill and ferocious shot gave Surrey the lead.

The second half began disastrously for the Isle of Man as Surrey capitalised on mistakes to engineer two further goals in quick succession.

However, Manx heads didn’t go down and Robin Masson earned a penalty after a tussle with the Surrey goalkeeper.

Unfortunately, Andy Vernon-Browne’s effort was saved by the Surrey man.

The Isle of Man threw on extra forwards and with two minutes left Bell rounded off a fine move with a second goal, but time ran out with Surrey holding on at 4-2.

The end of a journey, but the Isle of Man will play in B division again in 2019 and will look towards a promotion bid.

A measure of the opposition faced is that Surrey fielded seven players from National League clubs and the remainder of the squad from South Premier League.

The island men and women senior hockey teams now go on to play in the Premier League Tournaments in Essex in September.

Both are currently without a sponsor, if anyone would be interested in finding out how they can help us, please get in touch with the Manx Hockey Association.

JON WHITING