SLOUGH will be looking to become England Hockey’s indoor champions for the second time in three years this coming Sunday, writes Dave Wright.

They take on East Grinstead, who won the title in 2016, in the semi-finals of the Jaffa-sponsored Super 6s at the Copper Box Arena in Queen Elizabeth Park, with an 11.45am pushback.

The winners of this tie will meet holders Bowdon Hightown or Buckingham, who play at 10.30am, in the final which is scheduled for 3.30pm.

The Pink and Blacks will travel to the East London venue in a confident mood having already defeated East Grinstead in the indoor league 4-2 last month thanks to two goals from Dilly Newton and one apiece by Sarah Parkinson-Mills and Harriet Ward.

Newton finished as her side’s top scorer in the league with six goals, all of them coming from penalty corners.

She also helped Slough to win the 2017 title by scoring one of their two goals in the final against Canterbury at Wembley Arena.

Ward and Parkinson-Mills were also in good form in this winters league competition with five goals each, while there were four apiece for Laura Puddle and Mel Ball, along with two for Lizzie Totten.

Slough will need to be at their sharpest as East Grinstead are formidable opponents.

Their squad includes Great Britain’s Olympic gold medalist Sophie Bray, who netted eight goals in the indoor league, one fewer than Elsie Nix, who was third in the overall scorers list.

Like two years ago, captain Kat McGonigle and her team are hoping there will be plenty of supporters cheering them on this weekend.

They will include students and staff from Beaconsfield High School, where McGonigle is head of PE, while Year 13 student Katie Jurdan is in the Pink and Blacks’ squad.

Those unable to get to the Copper Box will still be able to watch all the matches as they are being shown live on the BBC Sport website and app, while England Hockey will also be live streaming on Facebook.

The Super 6s men’s semi-finals get underway at 1pm with Hampstead & Westminster facing East Grinstead, followed at 2.15pm by Sevenoaks versus Surbiton, with the final at 4:45pm.

Slough men secured their first away league point of the season on Saturday when drawing 2-2 at Horsham, their goals coming from Kuli Matharu and Rai Singh, his third in the last two games.

They remain at the foot of the Middx, Berks, Bucks & Oxon Premier Division Two but are now level on four points with Woking, with both trailing third-bottom Horsham by seven points.

Slough will be looking to maintain their improved form when they visit ninth-placed Staines this Saturday.