Gloucester City are on the brink of achieving something remarkable.

They host Sutton Coldfield tomorrow knowing that a win will see them climb into the top tier of English women’s hockey for the first time in their history.

A tremendous run of form since the turn of the year has taken them two points clear at the top of Division 1 North of the England Hockey League and they will be fired up and ready for the final day of the campaign.

“It’s pretty mega,” said captain Chloe O’Donoghue, who started at the club at the age of 11.

“Our aim was always to be in the top three but to be where we are isn’t a surprise because I know how good the girls are.

“We normally finish around mid-table. I think the highest we’ve finished is fifth so this has this has been just a really good season for us.”

And they are determined to end the season in style after winning five and drawing two of their seven games this year.

They began 2026 nine points adrift of Buckingham, who are now second, and hit top spot at the weekend after their 4-0 win at home to Ben Rhydding while Buckingham drew 2-2 at Pendle Forest.

That was Buckingham’s sixth draw since the start of January – they’ve also lost one – and they entertain third-placed Beeston tomorrow knowing that they have to win just to be in with a chance of promotion.

Gloucester’s goal difference is also better – 18 to 17 – and O’Donoghue, a left-back, said: “It’s nice to be in control.”

Not that O’Donoghue is taking anything for granted because fifth-place Sutton are one of only two teams to have beaten Gloucester in the 10-strong division in 2025/26.

Gloucester lost 5-1 in November and O’Donoghue continued: “Sutton are a good team, they came down from the Premier Division last season.”

Winning the title would mean a lot to 31-year-old O’Donoghue, who is in her third season as captain, a role she enjoys.

“I like to think I’m a supportive captain,” she said. “I let the coaches do the tactical stuff and my job is to get the energy levels up.”

Gloucester will make at least two changes from the team that took their goals scored tally to 48 in 17 league games on Saturday.

Goalkeeper Amanda Ferebee is playing in the World Masters Hockey Indoor World Cup in Nottingham while centre-back Jess Roe, who hasn’t missed a game for three years, is unavailable.

Poppy Mills will come in for Ferebee and coach Trevor Done said: “It’s an important position but we trust Poppy to do the job.”

At the other end of the pitch, in-form striker Sally Walton has certainly been doing her job in recent weeks with seven goals in five games, including a brace against Ben Rydding.

Walton was part of the Great Britain team that won bronze medals at the 2012 London Olympics and Done said: “She’s a very good player, she scores some extraordinary goals.

“She scored a goal against Beeston that no-one else would have scored.

"She flicked the ball up with her back to her goal and hit an overhead shot with her back still to goal. She’s come good at just the right time.” 

Should Gloucester win promotion, they'll be up against the likes of Surbiton, Hampstead & Westminster and East Grinstead next season.