BASINGSTOKE Hockey Club’s second string ladies’ side clinched the Hampshire Division Two title after they won at Andover 4-1 on Monday night.

The home side started the better and it needed a good short corner stop from Nicky Ball and a goal-line clearance from Ruth Crawford to keep the home side off the scoreboard.

Basingstoke then opened the scoring from Lucy Lee-Smith and doubled their advantage by half-time from a Sarah Mainprise short corner.

Andover pulled a goal back after the interval, but soon after Mainprise smacked another short-corner rocket into the bottom of the net to make it 3-1.

Basingstoke added a fourth goal, 16-year-old Annalise Whitehead scoring after a good ball into the circle was deflected to the far post by Crawford.

After the game, coach Luce Streak said: “The commitment and intensity shown by each player today in a pacy game was incredible to watch, and we played some of the best hockey we’ve played all season against a good Andover side.

“We’ve three league games to go and I want us now to refocus on those and really show how far we’ve come this season by keeping our run going.”

Basingstoke are away at Trojans this Saturday and then on Sunday they have a Hampshire Trophy quarter-final away at Fareham II.

The ladies’ first team also enjoyed a victory over visiting Andover last Saturday as they kept their promotion push going.

The visitors had the first chances and only solid goalkeeping from Gemma Carswell and strong defending from Cath McCormick kept Andover out.

Late in the first half, Rose Evill finished off a great passing move to give Basingstoke the lead.

After the break, Andover levelled, but the home side hit their winner after Fiona Parker dribbled the ball up the pitch and laid off a pass for captain Catriona Bausor to score.

The men’s first team maintained their unbeaten run with a 2-1 win at home against Yateley.

Basingstoke were two goals to the good in the first 10 minutes, as Grant Rouse and Mark Smith both scored, before Yateley pulled a goal back later in the game.

The men’s fourths pulled off a scrappy 2-1 home win against relegation-threatened Fareham to keep the pressure on second-placed Woking.

Basingstoke struck first when Adam Neighbour’s penalty-corner strike was deflected past the Fareham goalkeeper.

After the break, Yateley equalised, before Alex Simmon had a goal disallowed, but Eliot Boyd netted the resulting penalty shot.