CHELMSFORD finished a creditable sixth place in this season's European Indoor Club Championship, competing amongst the elite teams of Europe.Their first match was a 6-4 defeat to Belarus side Ritm Grodno, many of whose players had just returned from the Indoor World Cup in Vienna.

CHELMSFORD finished a creditable sixth place in this season's European Indoor Club Championship, competing amongst the elite teams of Europe.

Their first match was a 6-4 defeat to Belarus side Ritm Grodno, many of whose players had just returned from the Indoor World Cup in Vienna.

Lisa Wooding missed a first-half penalty stroke but made up for that with two penalty corner flicks. Chloe Rogers and Maria Merrigan scored the other two, but it was a hat-trick from Volha Shyntar, the Ritm captain, that proved to be the difference.

Chelmsford followed this opening tussle with a creditable 5-3 victory over Cambrai. Rogers, Wooding (3) and Lynn Bollington grabbing the goals.

The second day started brightly against Kampong of Holland in what was effectively a quarter-final.

Rogers opened the scoring from a virtually impossible shooting angle but, despite goals from Bollington and Wooding, the Essex side fell to a 5-3 defeat.

Chelmsford then won their relegation play-off with Wiener Neudorf 6-4, meaning they faced a 5th/6th play-off against Club de Campo de Madrid on the Sunday.

Chelmsford spent most of the game chasing an early Spanish lead and eventually succumbed to a 5-2 defeat.

Speaking on the last day of the tournament, Rogers summed up feeling in the Chelmsford camp.

She said: “On a positive note we didn't drop down into the 'B' division. We've kept up in the top league, so other English clubs can still have a chance at this cup.

“I was pleased we got plenty of goals and, for my first indoor tournament of the season, it wasn't bad.”

Chelmsford return to Premier League action this weekend when they host an East Anglian derby against Ipswich at Chelmer Park.

Push-off is at 2pm and Chelmsford will be looking to build on their recent run of good outdoor form and continue their current five match unbeaten run.