Canterbury’s hopes of pulling off an incredible escape from relegation in NOW: Pensions national Premier Division are alive after claiming six points in a superb weekend double-header at Polo Farm.

Canterbury began the weekend marooned at the bottom of the table, effectively seven points adrift of second-bottom Southgate and the sole relegation play-off place.

However on Saturday the city club came from behind to record a vital three points against fellow strugglers Brooklands MU.

Craig Boyne continued his rich vein of form with a penalty corner strike on 14 minutes to cancel out Aiden Khares’ early opener for the Manchester side.

Harry Roberts completed the turnaround seconds before the break and Wei Adams sealed the points with a penalty corner strike midway through the second half.

Canterbury were the only one of the bottom seven to win, and saw their goal difference boosted as Surbiton hammered Southgate 6-1.

On Sunday afternoon, however the city club dragged themselves off the bottom with a 9-1 thrashing of injury-hit Reading.

While Southgate saw their game against fellow-strugglers Hampstead & Westminster abandoned due to an injury to an umpire, Canterbury moved above them on goals scored, after slashing their goal difference with a comprehensive win.

A Boyne penalty corner had the hosts ahead inside three minutes and a Roberts double made it 3-0 inside 11 minutes.

Aaron Hibell pulled one back but Francisco Montoya and James Spain made it 5-1 by 30 minutes and after the break Roberts and Boyne completed their hat-tricks, while Adams added the ninth eight minutes from time.

With two games remaining the city club can still catch sixth-placed Cannock, who are five points clear, seventh-placed Brooklands, four points ahead, and eighth-placed Hampstead, three infront but with a game in hand.

Southgate are level on points and goal difference, with three games to play, facing Hampstead aswell as a final day trip to Canterbury.

Canterbury Ladies can finish no lower than third in Investec Premier Division after Susannah Towsend’s last minute strike gave them a 1-0 win at Reading on Sunday.

The GB international struck from a penalty corner to secure the points against the club she played for last season, keeping the city club within three points of second-placed Clifton and six behind leaders Surbiton, both of whom also recorded one-goal wins.

A brace from Sarah Robertson gave Holcombe a crucial 2-1 win at University of Birmingham on Saturday to open-up a four-point gap to fifth, with just three games remaining, after Leicester could only draw 1-1 with Bowdon Hightown.

Robertson struck on 37 minutes and then converted a penalty corner two minutes later to put Holcs in the driving seat, though Alice Sharp set up a tense finale with a goal for the students four minutes from time.