WALES’ women ended their EuroHockey Championships campaign on a high to claim a fifth-place finish in Prague and secure their place in Division Two.

Wales, captained by Abi Welsford from Usk and also featuring Newport pair Sophie Clayton and Izzy Webb, ended their tournament with a 2-1 win over the Ukraine.

Hockey Wales’ performance manager Dan Clements said: “The Europeans have been a great success with the women consolidating their position in Division Two.

“The results show the strides we have made in recent years. The players can take a great deal of confidence from their performances.

“Our women’s side faced a big challenge with a need to consolidate in Division Two, facing off against a number of strong sides.

“The sides they faced this week were ranked between four and 13 places higher in FIH World Rankings, so we’re delighted with their fifth place finish.”

Clements also praised the impact made by the fresh faces in the squad, including 16-year-old Webb.

He added: “We are especially pleased with the results given the number of players that were making their debut at this level within both sides.

“We even have some age-group players competing in the squads, one of whom is just 16-years-old.

“This makes their results all the more impressive and demonstrates the huge potential of our squads for the future.”

Players will now break for off-season before returning to training in September, where the focus will be on the World League in summer 2016.