WITNEY Ladies have been relegated from the second tier of English hockey in their first season at that level.

The Lambs needed to win at Cambridge City to stand a chance of staying up, but a 2-2 sealed their fate.

The home side took the lead on 25 minutes when Emily McStea deflected in a goalward-bound drive from outside the shooting circle.

However, Witney ended the first half on the front foot when Alys Richards’ reverse-stick effort forced a kick save from the Cambridge stopper.

The Lambs then equalised in the 39th minute when Sunny Wallis deflected in captain Katie Gatt’s drag flick from a penalty corner won by Abi Flory, after Lucy Reading’s run into the circle.

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Vice-captain Ellie Norton kept things level for Witney by clearing a shot off the line, after a flurry of City penalty corners.

Norton earned the Lambs a penalty corner early in the fourth quarter after her entry pass found the body of a defender, but Chaselea Gatt’s high drag flick was well saved.

Flory then saw a high shot drop just wide from another penalty corner, before Katie Oliver scooped home after Wallis’ run into the circle, to make it 2-1 after 57 minutes.

However, McStea scored off a penalty corner with five minutes to go, to ensure the Lambs would be relegated at the end of the season.

Witney welcome Sevenoaks to Wood Green School for their final game of the season on Saturday.