WEST Witney Ladies hope to follow in the footsteps of Oxford Hawks men this weekend by securing their place in the National Hockey League next season.
Like Hawks, West Witney finished near the bottom of their National League division, in the play-off position.
They must do battle with two other teams in the Inter-League play-offs at Milton Keynes tomorrow.
Unlike the men's play-offs, there is a different format and if they can finish either top or runners-up in their group, they go through to a further cross-over match on the Sunday where the winners earn a National League place next season.
West Witney play Liverpool Sefton at 12.30pm tomorrow and St Albans at 4pm.
Among Witney's preparations have been games against both Abingdon Atomix and Morris Motors men's teams, as well as training time on a water-based pitch similar to the one at the National Hockey Stadium.
Captain Wendy Birkett and coach Rona Roelofse have expanded Witney's squad from 14 to 16 players to include Vicky Levinson and Suzanne Merrell.
Witney have also been boosted with the return to fitness of Sally Hartwell, a key player at short corners, after it was thought she would miss the play-offs with injury. Hartwell said: "St Albans came down from the National League a season ago and have now won the East League so they'll know what it's all about, while Liverpool Sefton won the North area.
"The stakes are high with a National League place at stake so it's all or nothing. We've been working very hard on our fitness so we're quietly confident."
OXFORDSHIRE team manager Steve Culliford has called up five Oxford Hawks and five City of Oxford players for this weekend's County Championship preliminary round group games at Portsmouth.
Oxon are in one of the B Division pools and face the Royal Navy and Hampshire tomorrow and Gloucestershire and Lincolnshire on Sunday.
The winners of the B Division pools will be promoted to the A Division for 1999.
Oxon: M Osbourne, P Humphreys, E Baldock, R Fogden, P Poulter (all Hawks), M Harris, A Cox, S Bell, C Mitty, S Eddy (all City), G Jones (Banbury).
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