GALLERY: Captain calls for promotion charge as Wisbech hockey stars dodge the snow with indoor training

WISBECH Hockey Club captain Jonathan Shippey has urged his first team troops to rediscover their form and power to promotion.

The Premier B outfit looked invincible at the start of the season - recording seven consecutive wins - but a slump in form towards the end of the year derailed their title challenge.

Wisbech now sit third in the league, 10 points behind leaders Ramgarhia, but Shippey has insisted they can still secure one of two promotion spots.

“Injuries haven’t helped us but we were disappointed to drop so many points,” said Shippey, who has returned to fitness after four weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring problem.

“It was the Ramgarhia game that hurt us. We were on top in the first half and then the second half we got hammered and the flood gates opened a bit. That seemed to knock our confidence.

“I still think we are good enough and it’s about getting some hockey under our belts now. We need to rediscover that confidence and start winning again.

“Now we are pretty much back to full strength, I think we can push for promotion.”

Wisbech’s men’s and ladies’ first teams held indoor training sessions at Thomas Clarkson Academy on Saturday as the snow continued to play havoc with the fixture list.

Wisbech Ladies sit fifth in Division One North, while both the men’s II and ladies’ II are enjoying impressive league campaigns and gunning for promotion.

“The atmosphere at the club is brilliant,” said Shippey. “Getting good team spirit is half the battle of winning competitions and we have always had that.”

The men’s first team are also gearing up for a mammoth trek to Guernsey in the third round of the England Hockey Men’s Trophy next Saturday.

“That will be a hard game,” said Shippey. “Guernsey lost in last year’s final but if we play as well as we can, we can beat them.

“We’re certainly not just going to enjoy the trip.”