Division OneChelmsford 4 Holcombe 2Despite a win over Holcombe in their last game of the season, Chelmsford still finished in the eighth place relegation play-off spot.

Division One

Chelmsford 4 Holcombe 2

Despite a win over Holcombe in their last game of the season, Chelmsford still finished in the eighth place relegation play-off spot.

The Essex side will now have to play the winners of a play-off between National South runners-up Oxted and National North runners-up Barford Tigers.

Chelmsford went into their match against Holcombe knowing only an unlikely first victory of the season for bottom placed Teddington against mid-table Southgate, allied to a Chelmsford victory, would be enough to avoid the play-offs. And while Chelmsford secured their win against the second from bottom side, Teddington lost 5-1.

The game did not start particularly well for Chelmsford when they fell behind in the eleventh minute to a goal from South African international Eric Rose-Innes. His reverse-stick strike from a very tight angle was enough to beat Dean Armstrong in the Chelmsford goal.

However, two goals from Dan Emery gave Chelmsford a one-goal advantage going into the break. His first was a quality short corner strike into the bottom corner and he followed this with a high class finish from the top of the 'D' after managing to win the ball and then find sufficient space to get his shot away.

The Chelmsford support were then treated to a very rare event when Adam Hunter's reputation for not scoring goals with upright hits was shattered when he rounded the Holcombe keeper and struck the ball high into the corner of the net.

Paul Rudd brought Holcombe back into the match with 15 minutes of the game remaining, but seven minutes later Adrian Palmer clinched victory. Palmer, with a full-length dive, deflected home a pinpoint cross from player-coach Duncan Woods.