The big news from the weekend must be Cannock’s topple from leadership of the Men’s Premier Division of the Slazenger England Hockey League, a position they have held since the first weekend of the season. The cause of their downfall was third placed East Grinstead, whose goals from Mark Pearn and Andy Piper were enough to drop Cannock one point behind the new leaders Reading. It took a single Jonty Clarke goal at Bowdon to earn them the three points they needed to assume the leadership. At the basement end of the table, Havant have failed to make further headway since their recent home win against Hamstead and Westminster. Calum Giles’ 64th minute equaliser at Beeston could well have earned them a point, but Martin Jones found the net for Beeston with three minutes left on the clock. Final score there, 2-1 to Beeston. Loughborough Students did not play last weekend because they were taking part in the European Indoor Clubs Trophy but the trip away obviously did them good, putting four passed luckless Southgate for no reply. The scorers: James Osborn (2), Chris Gregg and Richard Smith. Matt Daly scored a penalty corner hat-trick as Surbiton played hosts to Hampstead and Westminster. Other Surbiton scorers were Ben Hawes from the penalty spot and James Tindall from open play.
The Men’s Premiership looks as follows. Several sides have on game in hand, and this is indicated *: 1. Reading 29 pts (+25)*, 2. Cannock 28 pts (+21), 3. East Grinstead 23 pts (+16)*, 4. Beeston 22 pts (+11)*, 5. Surbiton 22 pts (+10), 6. Bowdon 14 pts (-11), 7. Loughborough Students 12 pts (-5)*, 8. Hampstead & Westminster 10 pts (-14), 9. Havant 6 pts (-22), 10. Southgate 5 pts (-31).
THE FINAL OF THE EUROHOCKEY WOMENS INDOOR CLUB CHAMPIONS CUP in Madrid was won by German side Club an der Alster in an exciting duel against Dinamo Sumchanka from the Ukraine, which the Germans won 7-5. Third place went to Larensche of the Netherlands. A full report on this competition will appear in our on-line magazine, HockeyTalk, available from next Thursday. This can be downloaded from our main site at www.talkhockeyradio.co.uk
