CUMBRIA have retained their England women's hockey championship after a 700-mile round trip to Exeter at the weekend.

Cumbria won the title for the first time last year and overcame opposition from Yorkshire (won 2-1), Middlesex (2-2), Hertfordshire (6-2) and finally Oxfordshire (4-3) to hold on to their title and win the 2008 championship.

Coach Tom Leach, who is also managing partner at Carlisle solicitors firm Burnetts, which sponsored the team, said: "Last year's achievement was fantastic, but this year's success outstrips that. It was a lot tougher and virtually every game went down to the wire.

"Our victory was as much a tribute to the players' teamwork, character and resolve as their undoubted talent. We have certainly proved that last year's victory was not a flash in the pan."

The Cumbrians dominated the first half, taking the lead with Captain Vicky Jones's penalty stroke after 12 minutes. Yorkshire equalised from a penalty corner but Lisa Potter restored Cumbria's advantage eight minutes later.

Middlesex had thumped Hertfordshire 5-0 but Cumbria again dominated them and took the lead with a fierce shot from Kath Sherlock.

The Cumbrians, however, were rocked by two Middlesex short-corner goals within two minutes just after half-time. However, Cumbria steadied themselves and Nicola Conway, who had just come on as a substitute, chipped the keeper on the reverse stick to give Cumbria a welcome equaliser.

In their next game against Hertfordshire, Cumbria raced to a 4-0 half time lead with three goals from Kath Sherlock and one from Megan Cook. Hertfordshire scored twice shortly after the interval but Vicky Jones and Kath Sherlock made the final score 6-2.

The Cumbrians knew they had to win their final game against Oxfordshire to retain their title and they got off to a bad start when they conceded a goal after only five minutes. But Kath Sherlock and Lisa Potter gave Cumbria a 2-1 half-time lead before Oxfordshire capitalised on Potter's sin-binning by equalising.

Kath Sherlock restored the Cumbrian's lead but they were pegged back four minutes later from a penalty corner. Finally, Lisa Potter redeemed herself by flicking in what proved to be the winner ten minutes from the end.

Involved in the success were Kendal players Vicky Jones (captain), Laura Morris and Nicola Martindale, Lancaster's Lauren Wright, Ambleside's Nicola Conway and Windermere's Mel Whalley. Kirkby Stephen's Lisa Potter and Abby Bland were also in the squad, while Wigton had Kath Sherlock, Laura Raynes, Emma Hill, Megan Cook and Michelle Bowen and Carlisle's Laura Harker also took part, along with Cumbria's only national league player, the former Barrow Ladies goalkeeper Danielle Tedford.

n To find out more about women's hockey in Cumbria, call Hockey Development Officer, Gillian Bland on 015242-76383.