Advantage in the enthralling East Hockey League Division Four South West title race has now switched to Welwyn Garden City - after the ladies of Stevenage thirds lost their unbeaten record.

Both they and their rivals have gone virtually toe for toe for the entire campaign, neither feeling the sting of defeat.

But after heading into the penultimate game with a two-point lead, Stevenage lost 2-1 at Blueharts fourths while Welwyn enjoyed a 5-1 success over Harpenden.

As fate would have it, Stevenage end their season at home to Welwyn on April 15, with the draw now favouring the garden city side.

Elmarie Gunther got the only goal in the loss to Blueharts.

The first team also brought the curtain down on a tough Division One South campaign against their Hitchin neighbours, losing 3-1 at home to the newly-crowned champions.

That still leaves them in a fairly creditable ninth position having accrued seven wins and three draws.

The seconds ended fifth in Division Three South West after a 3-0 win over Rickmansworth, their goals coming from Claire Weston (two) and Chloe Jones.

The fourths and fifths were also playing Blueharts, the fours drawing 2-2 with the Hitchin club's fifth team while Stevenage fifths lost 3-0 to the sixths.

Over in the men's section, the firsts now face an anxious wait to see if they are to be promoted from Division Two South West after a final day 5-3 loss at champions Harpenden.

They will finish third at worst but will go up should Bedford and St Albans draw in their remaining game.

A winner for either of those sides will send them up instead.

The seconds have been relegated from Division Three and finished with a 6-0 loss.

Neither the thirds nor the fourths played.

The threes finish their campaign on April 15 at Luton while the fours ended the year in sixth.

The club will welcome players and families from SV Gau Algesheim in Germany this weekend in a long-standing twin town relationship.

A spokesman for Stevenage Hockey Club said: "Ingleheim do not have a hockey club so their close neighbours Gau Algesheim took the role and have done so for many years now, with many friendships being made and maintained, some going back 50-odd years."

The visit is biennial with the clubs alternating who hosts.

There will be matches involving a large number of juniors from both clubs, visits to London and other places and a dinner dance at the Cromwell on Easter Sunday.

The entertainment will be provided by a band made up of hockey players, created for the 40th anniversary visit and which has continued to play on different occasions.