READING are through to the final of England Hockey’s Tier 1 Championship after winning 3-2 at Oxted on Sunday.

But they were given a real fright by the Conference East champions before sealing victory in their semi final.

Reading's player of the season, Ciaran O’Connell, put the Blues ahead from a penalty corner on 10 minutes, only for Sam Driver to bring the scores level just before the half-hour mark.

Four minutes after half time Nick Park fired them back in front, but they were only able to hang on to the lead for three minutes with Chris Webster bringing the scores back level and putting the Surrey side in with a chance of a causing a cup shock.

However, the Blues showed their superiority to win the tie thanks to a penalty-corner strike from Ireland international Stuart Loughrey on the hour mark.

Reading will defend the trophy against Beeston at Lee Valley on Bank Holiday Monday, May 7 (2pm).

So the Sonning Lane club are in with a chance of winning three national championship, with the ladies’ Rockets team taking on Repton in the Tier 3 final on May 5 (11am) and the Under 18s playing Ben Rhydding in the Girls’ U8 final a week later, again at 11am.

Reading U14s girls will face South Berkshire in the area final of the national U14 Tier 2 championships on May 13.

The Blues can now boast a Commonwealth Games medallist with defender Liam Sanford being part of the England squad which won bronze medal on the Gold Coast last week, defeating India 2-1.

Scotland – with a squad containing Reading trio Tommy Alexander, Lee Morton and Duncan Riddell – finished sixth overall, their best ever placing at a Commonwealth Games.

Sonning Lane colleagues Dan Kyriakides, James Carson, Dale Hutchinson, Owain Dolan-Gray and Ben Francis helped Wales to take ninth place after a 3-2 victory over South Africa with Carson scoring twice, including a late winner.

Wales had gone into the Games nine rungs below 15th-placed South Africa in the world rankings.