HOCKEY: Sutton Coldfield 1 Ipswich Ladies 3. Ipswich Ladies finished the league season on a high note with their third successive victory which has condemned Sutton Coldfield to the play-offs in a bid to keep their Premier Division place.

Sutton Coldfield 1 Ipswich Ladies 3

IPSWICH Ladies finished the league season on a high note with their third successive victory which has condemned Sutton Coldfield to the play-offs in a bid to keep their Premier Division place.

The visitors began the game slowly and it was Sutton who had the better start. Ipswich found it difficult to link the passes together and an injury to Emma Wooding forced coach Sandie Lister to make changes which disrupted the normal flowing game of the Suffolk side.

Goalkeeper Hannah Robinson had little to do though as Sutton were less then creative in the circle and five minutes before half-time Sarah Bamfield broke the deadlock when she slammed the ball into the far corner from an acute angle.

The Sutton goalkeeper was not expecting the shot and had positioned herself to cover the pass, but the alert Bamfield saw the gap and put Ipswich ahead.

Stern words from Lister seemed to spark some life into the team and it inspired some quick movement off the ball and slick passing between the forwards to create the opportunity for Bamfield to get her second.

By now Sutton looked a beaten side and when Jo Ellis flicked the ball over the diving keeper after a short corner shot from Kirsten Spencer was saved, the writing was on the wall for the midlanders.

Sutton salvaged some pride through Helen Morris, but they now face Wimbledon in the relegation play-offs while Ipswich can look forward to playing Leicester in the Premiership play-offs.