Surbiton ladies may have finished as unbeaten table-toppers, but skipper Sarah Haycroft knows the defence of their title at this weekend’s finals is not a certainty.

Haycroft and co have won back to back WHL Premier Division titles, and they face Holcombe at Lee Valley on Saturday as they look for a third crown.

In the two sides’ previous meetings this season, Surbiton have run out comfortable winners on the back of 5-0 and 4-0 triumph.

However, Haycroft knows that Holcombe will have all their internationals back and hence present a much different proposition.

In addition, Surbiton are unbeaten in 40 league and play-off games, and every rival wants to be the team to end it.

She said: “Teams like Holcombe, who have eight internationals, struggle during the season, but they can turn it on in a one-off game, and when that one-off game could end our unbeaten run there is going to be an added incentive for them.

“There is a lot of banter about the unbeaten run when we meet up with the GB girls at Bisham Abbey for training.

“Birmingham were unbeaten until they played us in the second half of the season, so there was a lot of banter from them, and all the other girls jumping in and picking sides.

“When Holcombe got fourth, I got a text from [goalkeeper] Maddie Hinch saying ‘Game on’.”

Surbiton’s first title came after finishing fourth and then surprising everyone at the play-offs – and they won their second after finishing top and avoiding an upset.

So Haycroft knows how to win as an underdog and as the favourite, and now she and her team-mates have to repeat the latter.

She said: “It is cruel that the team that finishes top can get nothing, but then the teams finishing fourth don’t worry about that.

“We’re very aware that everyone wants to take our title, we’ve been on both sides of the coin.”

She added: “We are the team that everyone wants to beat and we’re determined not to let that happen.”

Should Surbiton get past Holcombe, they will face either Canterbury or the University of Birmingham in Sunday’s final.

Meanwhile, the men face Reading on Saturday in the MHL Premier Division play-offs - for a full preview go to kingstonguardian.co.uk/sport.