Lamb Heroics Fire Banbury To T2 Champs Title & Nottingham Trent University clinched the T3 Title

Kit Lamb's goalkeeping heroics helped fire Banbury to a brilliant Tier 2 Championship title over East Grinstead 2s on a pulsating day of action at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre.

After the two sides played out an entertaining stalemate in normal time, Lamb thwarted two East Grinstead strikes in the shoot-out to seal a memorable triumph and trigger Sunday night ecstasy among the vocal travelling contingent.

George Godwin, Will Kellett, Sam Chadbourne and Harry Simons all netted in the shoot-out and despite one Banbury miss from Steve O'Connor, Lamb repelled Jordan Torrilla's effort to clinch the coveted crown.

Roared on by a raucous crowd in east London, the two sides slugged it out in an intriguing first half as neither were able to capitalise on several promising opportunities.

The East Grinstead fans had travelled in their numbers and were nearly sent into raptures when Will Denny went close shortly after the break.

But Banbury also continued to press for a winner and were soon denied by a brilliant diving save from Jack Egerton.

It was East Grinstead who were looking the livelier heading into the closing stages, however, with Denny - supported by the dynamic Tom Tyers in midfield - causing a nuisance deep in the Banbury half.

They were dealt a setback in the 57th minute when George Mustchin was given a green card but continued to plough forward in pursuit of the still-elusive clincher.

But it was Banbury who came closest to snatching it at the death as they enjoyed a dominant spell of four quickfire penalty corners, only to be denied by a defiant East Grinstead defence.

That sent the game to a shoot-out and it was Banbury who held their nerve for glory, with Lamb delivering a dazzling display to cap a brilliant day of hockey in the capital.

In the first game of the day, Ethan Hoddle was the hero as his double and ice-cool shoot-out nerves fired Nottingham Trent University to the Men's Tier 3 title against Repton.

Hoddle netted the winning sudden death strike after his two goals either side of half-time helped cap a thrilling morning contest.

Ross Vides grabbed both of Repton's goals to tee up a tantalising shoot-out but it was the students who kept their cool to clinch a memorable title in east London.

It took almost half an hour for the deadlock to be broken before Vides' field goal propelled his side into an initial advantage.

But Nottingham Trent hit back just three minutes later when Hoddle hit his first from a penalty corner.

The contest was perfectly poised at half-time before Hoddle grabbed his second to turn the tables and leave Repton with work to do.

But Vibes dramatically struck again from a penalty corner late on to restore parity and take the game to a shoot-out.

Harry McGugan was brilliant in the Nottingham Trent goal as he saved three efforts to leave Hoddle with the decisive final strike.

And the clinical star held his nerve to fire past Jeremy Nelson and secure a hard-fought title for the students in the first game of a jam-packed day in London.