Hockey: Gifts ensure Insurance victory

Civil Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Insurance Hockey Association. . . . . . . . . . .2

CHRISTMAS came early yesterday for the Insurance Hockey Association in their annual fixture against the Civil Service at Feltham School when they were presented with their two goals.

The first came seven minutes into the game - a suicidal pass from Kinde Hanspal across his own goal was picked up by Ed Hawkings who opened the scoring.

With Jason Laslett, Britain's Olympic centre-half, dominating the midfield and England's Phil McGuire roaming menacingly up front for the Insurance side, it seemed only a matter of time before more goals, but the goalkeeping of Civil Service's David Burtenshaw and good covering by sweeper Richard Jones kept them out before Service equalised in the 20th minute.

From their first penalty corner a rasping rising shot from Alan Craddock was stopped illegally on the line by Neil Archer and Jones made no mistake from the resulting penalty stroke.

Two minutes from the interval a melee in the Service circle resulted in the ball going to the unmarked Simon Lewis for an easy second goal for Insurance.

What could have been an interesting second-half was spoilt by the driving rain which played its part in a series of misses at both ends. The game ended with the Civil Service wasting two good opportunities to equalise. First Ian Brown, the pick of the Service forwards, failed to steady himself and blasted wide and then Craddock did the same from a penalty corner.

CIVIL SERVICE: D Burtenshaw (City of Oxford); R Jones (Winchester); H Cole (Blackheath), A Craddock (Cannock), K Hanspal (Indian Gymkhana); J Langotra (Indian Gymkhana), N Eves (Gore Court, capt), T Clark (Marden Russets); C Slatcher (St Neots), E Vickery (Old Kingstonians), I Brown (Springfields).

INSURANCE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION: N Campling; A Tyrrell, N Archer (all Teddington, capt); M Bradley (Chelmsford), J Laslett (Teddington), M Kimber (Whitchurch); D Knox (Beckenham), S Cox (Slough), P McGuire (Teddington), S Lewis (Chelmsford), E Hawkings (Bank of England).

Umpires: I Fitzgerald and D Wareham (South).