TROJANS' relegation from the top flight of England women's hockey has cost them the services of Alex Danson, their star teenage international.

The 19-year old told her team-mates before the start that Trojans final match of the season against Bowdon Hightown would be her last for the Stoneham club.

But she went out in style, burying the Merseysiders with a stunning hat-trick which set up an emotional 5-2 win.

Danson, who may join Ipswich next season, was near to tears at the end, admitting the game had been "the saddest day of my life."

"The last thing I ever want to do is leave Trojans and, with the girls having been relegated, I almost feel like a deserter.

"But I have my England career to consider and need to continue playing at the highest level," she said.

Danson, who joined Trojans as a 14-year old schoolgirl, aims to build on the 23 England caps she has won during her five seasons at Stoneham Lane.

"My priority is to re-establish myself in the England team and go to Melbourne for the Commonwealth Games in March 2006," she explained.

Such is her commitment, Danson is often seen training at Trojans at first light before going off to her university sports studies in Portsmouth.

Now she plans to make hockey her priority for the foreseeable future.

"I'm going to put my studies on hold for the time being.

"Lectures are always clashing with England training sessions - and, like many youngsters my age, I know where I'd rather be," she smiled.

Danson hasn't exactly decided where she will be playing next season - but Ipswich looks favourite.

"There's the possibility of playing abroad in Holland or Germany, but wherever I play the main aim is a place in the England team," she said.

The past season, though, has been a wretched one for Danson, whose absence through injury has been the catalyst behind Trojans relegation.

"I damaged my shoulder when I fell down the stairs at home last autumn and then had my appendix removed a couple of months ago, so all in all its been a season I'd rather forget," she reflected.

Danson has made only six starts and, for much of the winter, has been a reluctant spectator as Trojans sank deeper and deeper into the Premier Division 1 relegation mire.

She made a goalscoring comeback in January as Trojans etched a point or two in their survival - but all too often the teenage talent has been frustratingly stuck on the sidelines.

Danson, who scored with her very first touch of the ball for England in the 2002 World Cup in Australia, certainly went out with a bang against sixth-placed Bowdon Hightown, the Premier League's top scorers.

Her fifth minute opener was a brilliant individualist effort - a run from the halfway line, which left three defenders in her wake before a rasping reverse stick shot put Trojans ahead.

Former England star Tina Cullen (21) equalised but Trojans were back in front 2-1 at the break through Nick Berry's first league goal.

Trojans weathered heavy Hightown pressure after the restart but emerged unscathed before a vicious Danson undercut - which made it 3-1 - sparked a late goal frenzy.

Hightown's Charlotte Butterfield cut it back to 3-2 before the departing Danson rounded off her farewell hat-trick with a venomous rocket shot which almost took the back of the net away !

Trojans got a fifth with their very last shot of the season - Nadine Devereux's penalty corner rattling the backboards before the umpires called time.

It was Trojans fourth win of the season, but one which came too little to late to save the club from slipping back to Division 2 in October.

Now they have to regroup - but regaining their Premier spot a third time in five years will be far harder with Alex Danson plying her trade elsewhere ...

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