Surbiton skipper Ben Tibble is predicting a good future for the whole club as the men’s and ladies’ teams go into a season-defining weekend.

In the MHL Premier Division, Tibble’s men are on the cusp of Championship/European play-offs, needing a win at Brookland MU on Sunday to secure second place and a spot in the season’s finale.

The men have also reached the EHB Cup final for only the second time in 30 years, thanks to a 6-1 semi-final win at Oxted on Sunday – they face Hampstead & Westminster in the final on May 4.

Meanwhile, the ladies are one win away from reaching their own Premier Division European/Championships play-offs.

They hold the fourth and final play-off place going into this weekend’s final game at home to Canterbury – and anything other than a win could leave the door open for rivals Bowdon Hightown.

Tibble said: “These are exciting times for the club, and if the men and ladies reach the play-offs then it is a magnificent achievement.

“And we are still building as a side. At the start of the season we struggled and were bottom of the table.

“We had a new coach in Todd Williams over the summer and all his hard work is paying off now.

“We won one of our first six games, but now we’re unbeaten in 11.”

He added: “Our chances in the play-offs are good. Teams fear us, which is what we want and have worked on.

“Beeston [top of the table] beat us 7-2 in October, but we beat them 5-1 three weeks ago, so we’re confident we can do well.”

Surbiton’s GB international James Tindall has led the attack with 17 goals this season – including a brace in the 3-1 league win over Hampstead & Westminster on Saturday, and  a strike in the cup win over Oxted – but Tibble says they are not a one-man team.

“We’ve worked very hard on our team ethic,” he said.

“James is getting the goals and you can see his quality, but we’re finding that there is a great deal of build-up play before he adds the finishing touch.

"Teams used to come to us and think we’re a team of individuals relying on the international players, but that is not the case, and I think many have found that out.”

Your Local Guardian: Sarah Page - Surbition HC

Sarah Page hit a hat-trick for Surbition Ladies at the weekend in the heavy win over Slough

In the WHL Premier Division, the ladies condemned Slough to relegation with a 6-1 victory at Sugden Road on Saturday to set up this weekend’s exciting finale.

Sarah Page hit a hat-trick, while skipper Sarah Haycroft, Georgie Twigg and Hannah Coulson also scored in the convincing win.