ALDERLEY Edge Hockey Club have a staggering 11 players in the final stages of a programme to identify the country’s finest young hockey talent.

Annie Hebb, Jenni Park, Issy Reynolds Duffy and Nat Stevens are all selected in the under 18s category of England Hockey’s 2016 Player Pathway programme.

Abi Cook and Greg Johnson were picked for the under 17s while Catrin Parry, Ella Partington and Charles Barnes all made the under 16s squad, with Olivia Moores as a reserve.

Caitlin Polley is in the under 15s squad and all the players will now represent the North region in forthcoming assessment camps.

On the field, the club enjoyed a busy weekend as the men’s first team were left disappointed as they could only manage a draw with Bowdon despite James Warburton’s double.

The second team had a tough fixture against their Durham University counterparts and were narrowly beaten 3-2, with Matt Hardy and Joe Coxon on the scoresheet for Edge.

There were wins for the thirds, who recorded a 6-2 victory over Northop firsts, and the fourths, who edged Oxton thirds 1-0.

The ladies first team played two games over the weekend, with a 0-0 draw with Newcastle University being followed by a 2-0 win over Timperley, with Annie Hebb scoring twice.

Jude Offer grabbed a hat-trick in the seconds’ 6-1 hammering of Neston, with Tori Blackwell, Ruby Nelson and Caitlin Polley also on the scoresheet.