Phoenix Hockey Club’s ladies have hit the ground running, but first-team captain Holly Rollit-Mason admits it will be a big ask to secure Essex Women’s League premier division promotion this year.

A 5-0 victory at Romford last weekend meant Phoenix ladies have won their opening three games of the season and have scored 11 goals in the process.

However, Rollit-Mason said it has been a “weird” start to the campaign.

She said a number of injuries have hit the team in the early weeks of the season and have shown the youthfulness of the Phoenix squad, but added that promotion from the premier division was still an aim this year.

The Phoenix skipper said: “It has been a good start, but it’s been a bit weird really as we haven’t been able to put what we’d say was a normal team.

“There have been a few people out with injuries and we’ve had a number of youngsters coming through, but people are pulling together and we’ve managed to have a good start.

“Hopefully we can keep it going as it would be lovely to get promoted this year if we could.

“It will be hard with such a young side and we know we’ll lose a few to university next year, but we’ll look for the senior players to step up and keep encouraging the younger ones.”

Phoenix ladies will be looking to make it four wins in a row when they head to Old Loughtonians thirds tomorrow.