A HISTORIC season just keeps getting better for the women at Alderley Edge Hockey Club.

The first-team squad will head to Lee Valley Stadium in London in buoyant mood at the end of the month after stylishly winning the Cheshire Cup on Saturday.

Edge, who will seek to defend their national prize, the Investec Trophy, in the final against University of Nottingham in the capital on Sunday, April 30, were already in celebratory mood after achieving promotion to Investec Premiersip North next season.

This makes the 2016-17 campaign their best in history, a fitting one for outgoing coach John Bell.

The Alderley aces were on fire as they smashed Brooklands Poynton 7-0 at Timperley to be crowned Cheshire champions.

Amanda Bennison's contribution included a hat-trick of goals.

Edge dominated the game from the outset but failed to capitalise on three early short corners.

Julia Tennant finally opened the scoring in the 15th minute with the only goal of the first half.

However, the ‘black attack’ came out firing on all four cylinders in the second half, with player-of-the-match Bennison scoring twice within in a minute just after play resumed.

Jen Park, recently selected for the England under 18s test series side in Holland next week, added another five minutes later.

Nic Hall caught Brooklands off guard twice in the 61st and 62nd minutes, effectively putting the game beyond Brooklands’ reach, before Bennison wrapped things up with her third.

Such was the momentum that even defender Sophie Hetherington made an unprecedented foray into the opposition’s D and very nearly bagged an eighth goal.

Coach Bell enjoyed a weekend of double joy as he later watched his other charges, Bowdon, beat favourites Brooklands in the men’s Cheshire Cup Final.