On Sunday the Devizes U18 girls travelled to Cambridge University to take on Old Silhillians in the national final of the England Hockey Plate competition.

The Wiltshire side were unchanged from their semi-final and were determined to give a good account of themselves in their final game of the season.

They arrived early to a venue swarming with players, parents and supporters from all over the country for the various finals taking place. The girls seemed to take this in their stride and spent a bit of time watching the earlier matches and having team photos taken before heading to the changing rooms for a short pre-match brief.

Stepping out onto the pitch they looked focused and in the pre-match huddle captain Bella Ward and Issy Holloway gave the final rallying call; the team responded with a full-throated roar which was echoed by the fantastic travelling support.

Old Silhillians started strongly and pressured Devizes into defending uncharacteristically deeply in the opening exchanges.

Devizes weathered this early period of play in large parts thanks to their exceptional centre back pairing of Issy Holloway and Meg Anderson, who, along with the outstanding GK Izzie Sowels, were called upon more than once to make crucial blocks to keep Old Silhillians at bay. When Devizes did get the ball they seemed to lack their normal composure and were initially unable to retain possession for long periods.

As the half progressed however Devizes started to find their normal rhythms and played their more typical game. Daisy Lawson Johnston came on and showed amazing composure - especially for such a young player in the squad - she held the ball up well and through her distribution was able to bring others into the game. The midfield trio of Alex Lascelles, Bella Ward and Liv Smail really began imposing themselves on the game which allowed the forwards to get higher and threaten the Old Silhillians D.

After a period of pressure Devizes won a short corner through the skillful Abbie Durrant which they worked well only to see Liv Smail's shot stopped by the fantastic Old Silhillians keeper. Shortly after this Devizes thought they had taken the lead when speedster Emily Weaver bundled the ball into the net only for the umpires to disallow it for a foul in the build up.

While Devizes were much improved Old Silhillians were ever dangerous and had their chances in the first half, most notably when they found a way through to be one-on-one with Izzie Sowels, only for her to pull out a fabulous reaction stop and have the presence of mind to clear the ball away to safety.

Half time came and the talk was positive - Devizes were clearly in a fight but had confidence in their own ability and knew what was required. Devizes always seem to play better in the second half and so it proved this match. The wing backs worked tirelessly as they have done all season and gave great go forward as well as defensive cover. Sally Edwards and Ella Tinker on the right hand side were a constant presence, blocking the opposition attack and providing an ever willing outlet - finding themselves as much in the opposition 23 as their own. On the other side Liv Carpenter and Phoebe Hunnibell had a slightly different challenge as Old Silihillians had two exceptional players on their side who needed close marking; these two have been standout defenders all season however and as such pre-empted and suffocated any danger to Devizes down their flank.

Devizes always play their best hockey when they utilise their classy midfield to dictate the pace and point of attack and for most of the second half this was in evidence. Liv Smail in particular stood out as much for her composure and game awareness as for her undoubted skills. With the pace and skill of Alex Lascelles and Bella Ward alongside, it was not long before Devizes were once again creating real chances. Another short corner and the crowd thought Devizes had scored only for the Old Silhillians keeper to produce one of many top class saves to deny them. The pressure was relentless though and the Devizes frontline were working relentlessly to convert chances. Abbie Durrant and Beccs Fairley continued their fantastic season and interlinked well each creating chances for the other only for the Old Silhillians defence to deny them at the last.

It felt a matter of time before Devizes made their breakthrough and it was one of the highest rated young prospects who converted the chance. Martha Cracknell had worked incredibly hard all game, using her natural speed and stick skills to cause problems for the opposition, often forcing them to turn and track back to their own goal. She had her reward when she was on hand at just the right time to seize on a rebounding save from the keeper and strike the ball into the goal on her reverse stick. The bench and crowd both went wild and Devizes had their lead.

With ten minutes left Devizes tried to shut the game down a little too early and as such had to soak up pressure and chances from Old Silhillians as they looked for the equaliser. The defensive short corner team were called on more than once to perform heroics with both Izzie Sowels, Issy Holloway and the outside of the post making telling blocks when they were most needed. Devizes regained some control in the final few minutes and continued to play the ball long into the opposition half making them play from deep, but it was still a nervy few minutes before the final whistle went and the girls could finally celebrate.

To win a national championship - to go alongside their West League win from earlier in the season - in their debut season is a phenomenal result and well beyond any expectations the team had. It is however just rewards for a whole squad that has worked so hard to reach the levels they have.