Canterbury Hockey Club coach Kwan Browne believes his side deserve their chance of returning to the English Premier League through the play-offs.

He said: "I think we deserved a little bit of luck on the last day because, over the whole season, we have been the best team in the league."

After losing their final match of the Men’s Conference East campaign, 5-3 at Holcombe on Sunday, Canterbury were indebted to Oxted for holding second-placed Old Loughtonians to a 2-2 draw.

If Old Loughtonians had won, they would have pipped Canterbury for the title, and a place in the promotion play-offs, on goal difference.

Browne (pictured) and his squad can now look forward to competing in the play-off weekend at Cannock Hockey Club over the Bank Holiday weekend of May 1-3, when they will come up against the Conference North champions Deeside Ramblers, the Conference West winners Team Bath Buccaneers, and Brooklands Manchester University who finished ninth in the Premier Division.