KENT'S triumphant under-16 hockey team have booked their place in the national county championships but it was touch and go to the very end.

The team finished joint top of the South Boy's County Championship with Hampshire but took the title by virtue of a better record against the top four sides than their south coast counterparts.

On the final day of competition Hampshire were nine goals ahead of Kent with a win in hand meaning Kent needed to win their final two matches, improve their goal difference by nine and hope Hampshire lost.

Despite missing three players to international duty Kent, playing at Slough Hockey Club, beat Berkshire 9-0 and Buckinghamshire 6-1.

Then it was the nervous wait for results from Oxford University where Hampshire were playing their final games.

Hampshire were confident having gone the season unbeaten, including a 2-1 win over Kent, and they won their first match of the final day against Sussex.

However, against top-four-side Oxfordshire they lost 4-0 leaving themselves and Kent level on points but Kent's smaller defeat meant they were going to the national finals to represent south England.

Coach Judy Wreford said: "We did not find out the Hampshire results until 10pm and even then we were not certain if we were top. But when we learnt the final standings it great, fantastic.

"We want revenge on Cheshire who beat us into second place in last year's under-15 national finals. I seriously believe we can win it this time round as we have a strong squad."

She added: "The team has done well because they have grown in confidence and they work together as a team. The boys do what we ask of them which is good because it is sometimes not the easiest thing in the world telling an under-16 lad what to do.

"The fact we told them on the last day of the season we needed at least nine goals and they did it is great testimony to them.

"But they are a good bunch of lads who work extremely hard and the parents are really supportive. Wherever we go the Kent parents are the most supportive."

Players come from all four corners of Kent and they play home matches at either Kent College in Canterbury, or Holcombe Hockey Club near Chatham.

To be considered to represent Kent the players are nominated by schools and clubs and they have to play extremely well in trials to warrant a place in the team.

In the past two years 80 boys have had trials and only three were given caps Anton Baskerville, Will Bishop and Graham Morrison.

They and their teammates competed in the South County Boys Championships alongside Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Sussex, Berkshire, Surrey, Middlesex and Buckinghamshire, conceding just six goals in seven games and scoring 32.

The nationals are played at under-15 and under-17 levels meaning Kent will not be competing until April next year when the team reach the latter age group.

In the meantime Brad Visser, who is based at the Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School, Hurst Road, Sidcup, and has been part of the coaching set up since its under-13 days, is busy organising tours of Europe.

He said: "The standard of hockey in Holland is very high.

"They take it very seriously and we want to find a tournament which will test the boys rather than just being a walkover.

"The tour is about team building and keeping on track for the nationals."