WINDERMERE virtually assured themselves of promotion to NW division 6 with a comfortable 9-0 victory over Urmston 3rds at The Lakes School pitch on Saturday.

With only five NW Division Seven matches to play, Windermere and Bolton 3rds cannot now be caught by the third team in their division unless there are technical point deductions, and it is now all about who wins the division seven title.

Urmston fielded a strengthened team on Saturday but Windermere quickly established a 3-0 lead with some now characteristic passing hockey. Mark Hartnett opened the scoring, Matt Hartnett added a second and then bagged a third from a short corner when the ball was played back to him from the top of the D.

Steve Heyns scored another hat-trick, with a goal in open play and two penalty corners, and Mike Hodgson (2) and Scott Santamera completed another impressive performance by the unbeaten Windermere team, who have now scored 86 goals and conceded only ten since the start of the season.

Windermere travel to Manchester Trinity 2nds tomorrow (Saturday) and then Liverpool Sefton 3rds on Sunday in a tough double-header' weekend that may well decide the destination of the division title. Trinity proved awkward opponents at Troutbeck Bridge before Christmas and Sefton are the only side to have denied Windermere victory, drawing 3-3 in the Lakes.