CHARLOTTE Hartley has returned from her magical month in Melbourne with the Commonwealth Games medal she craved.

The 19-year-old from Cliviger helped England Ladies win a hockey bronze after a dramatic penalty shoot-out win against New Zealand.

The former Mansfield High School pupil said it would have been unthinkable to have left Australia empty-handed but admits that being a medal winner still hasn't sunk in.

"The whole experience was truly wonderful," said the Burnley-born teenager. "It still hasn't quite sunk in. I only got back to England on Monday and everything is still a bit of a blur.

"Everyone wants to see the medal."

Hartley, a student at Loughbrough University, said her month in Australia is something she will cherish forever.

From the base camp on the outskirts of Melbourne, through to the athletes village, the opening ceremony and that dramatic last game.

"I'll remember all of it," added Hartley. "But if I have to pick one highlight then it has be that bronze medal game against New Zealand.

"We created enough chances to win in normal time but when it went to the penalty shoot-out it was very tense.

"The feeling when we won was just fantastic."

Hartley, the second youngest in the England squad, featured in all of the games and started in the 10-0 group match victory over Barbados.

And she was only denied a goal when a team-mate deflected her goalbound shot wide.

"It would have been great to have scored in the Commonwealth Games but a team-mate stuck out her stick and deflected my shot wide. I'm sure it was going in!"

While Hartley said it would have been nice to win gold or silver, she is more than happy with her bronze medal.

"We went in to the competition ranked as third best and ended up in third place. So you can't really wish for more than that.

"I always knew, because of my age and experience, that I wasn't going to play all the games. But I am proud to say I played my part in helping England win bronze."

It turned out to be an emotional roller coaster for Hartley.

From the butterflies of walking in to the MCG on the night of the opening ceromony, the agony of losing to Australia in the semi finals to the ecstasy of beating the Kiwis for the bronze medal."I experienced every high and low going. I'm just glad my family were there with me to distract my attentions away from the hockey.

"I have to thank my mum Diane, dad Ian, brothers Matthew and Bradley and grandma Merial for their continuous support - I couldn't have done it without them."

Off the pitch, Hartley said she was impressed with the athletes village where she got to chat to other members of the Engand team.

"I've never seen anything like the athletes village. The set-up and facilities were superb. The hockey girls largely stayed together but I did get a chance to speak to sprinter Darren Campbell and he was really nice."

But now Hartley has little time to celebrate her Commonwealth Games glory.

For she has her studies to catch up with and the small matter of a National Cup final to play in on Sunday.

Hartley plays for Hightown with Carolyn Meade the England keeper who performed heroics in the shoot-out win and take on Chelmsford in Slough at the weekend.

And then she is hoping to be selected for England to play in next month's World Cup qualifiers in Rome.

"The Commonwealth Games was unbelievable and something I will remember forever.

"But now I have to concentrate on helping Hightown win the cup and getting selected for the World Cup qualifiers."

Hartley has tasted the big time and is ready for a bit more!