KAT MCGONIGLE is prepared to play with a broken hand in what is a highly important weekend for Slough ladies.

The Pink and Blacks captain suffered her injury during the Super Sixes final victory over Canterbury at Wembley Arena a week earlier.

“I got hit by the ball in the first half,” she said. “It was sore but I played on. It was very swollen on Monday morning so I had it checked out and I was told it was broken.

“They gave me an immobilisation cast in the hope I could be back playing in two or three weeks.

“If I can get it taken off and replaced by a moveable one and I can grip a stick, then I will play on Saturday as it’s a big game for us.”

Slough and visitors Bowdon Hightown are both fighting for survival in the Investec Women’s League.

They each have seven points but Slough have played 12 matches, one more than their rivals, and an inferior goal difference of eight.

Last weekend they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at University of Birmingham, while Bowdon secured a point in a 1-1 draw with Clifton Robinsons.

McGonigle, who handed over the captaincy to Laura Bailey, said her teammates were ‘pretty gutted’ to lose the game.

Slough Observer:

PHOTO: Laura Bailey captained Slough in the 1-0 defeat to University of Birmingham.

“We didn’t play our best hockey but neither did they,” she admitted. “It was a very even game with both sides having chances and corners.”

Slough were close to securing a valuable point, only conceding a soft goal with three minutes left on the clock.

From a cross into their circle, Anna Toman’s effort took a deflection off a Slough defender, leaving keeper Asha Tranquille-Day wrong-footed.

“It was a pretty gutting way to lose a game,” admitted McGonigle. “So it’s important we bounce back against Bowdon as we need the win.”

It is a massive weekend at Upton Court Park as on Sunday (12.30pm) the Pink and Blacks host league champions Surbiton in the quarter-finals of the Investec Cup.

McGonigle admitted: “The league is our main priority but it would still be nice to continue our cup run.”

Surbiton are bidding to win the competition for the third time in four seasons.

Slough men crushed Oxford 2s 8-0 with leading scorer Bobby Bansal netting five of the goals to take his season’s tally up to 25.

Inder Dagger, Sunny Sangha and Singh Buttar completed the rout as their team retained a four point lead in Middx, Berks, Bucks & Oxon Regional Two.

Slough, having scored 13 goals in their last two games, are away to fourth-placed Banbury 2s this Saturday.