HOCKEY: VAGRANTS ended their season on a high as they came from behind to win in windswept Wales on Saturday.
Hall went into the game in fourth spot and showed plenty of steel in a game played in near-impossible conditions.
They gave Crewe a warning of their attacking bite with a disallowed goal in the ninth minute.
Vagrants also made a lively start with Richard Slater and Dave Holland seeing shots blocked while Jon Beech, Slater and Simon Oakes paid due attention to their defensive duties with some important clearances.
Holland had another chance to put Crewe in front but shot just wide and it was Hall who snatched the lead in the 19th minute with a well-taken fierce drive after some neat combination play by their forwards.
Vagrants then had to survive an anxious spell as the home side looked to press home their advantage.
Nick Marshall deflected a shot wide for a corner, keeper Ravi Kaler saved a high effort from close range and Oakes and Marshall again made last-ditch interventions.
Kaler then made a brilliant full-length save from a Hall short corner before Crewe's Holland twice went close.
Vagrants equalised five minutes after the restart when James Capper finished off a fine dribble neatly.
The visitors were forced to show their defensive qualities again as Hall responded well, but it was Vagrants who grabbed a second in the 51st minute.
Beech produced a fine run into the home 'D' and fired the ball into the danger zone for Capper to fire home.
Kaler came into his own in the closing stages as he came under repeated fire, but Vagrants' gritty resolve paid off as they held out for the win.
Vagrants are guaranteed a top-seven finish in the North League Division Two West but will claim a top-six spot if Wrexham fail to beat City of Manchester in their final game.
Vagrants Seconds' home game against UMIST had to be cancelled as the visitors failed to turn up.
Vagrants Thirds achieved their second successive promotion by securing runners-up spot in Division Six South of the North West League.
They hammered Sale Seconds 6-1 in their final game, with Paul Owen coming off the treatment table to hit a first-half hat-trick. Steve Douglas, Phil Washington and Chris Steele added further goals after the break.
In the ladies' section, the Seconds were the only team in action and went down 1-0 to Oswestry in a Cheshire League Division Four fixture.
This weekend, the ladies' Firsts host Winnington Park, the seconds are at Chester and the Thirds host Chester.
The men's teams stage friendlies against Wrexham this Saturday with the Firsts and Thirds at home.
