Hockey: Giles brings reward for Southgate coach

CALUM GILES repaid the confidence of his coach, Neil Hawgood, who played him at inside- left for just about the whole of Southgate's game against Guildford, with a hat-trick of penalty corners as the Middlesex side enjoyed a comfortable 4-1 victory.

In a particularly scrappy game, Giles put Southgate ahead in the 19th minute, increasing their lead six minutes after the interval before Ian Jennings pulled a goal back for Guildford. Giles completed his hat-trick two minutes later, with Craig Carolan claiming Southgate's fourth.

Bobby Crutchley collected his second hat-trick in successive weeks as Cannock beat Beeston 4-2 in a game in which Beeston's Australian, Craig Keegan, and Cannock's Kulbir Takher, were each temporarily suspended twice.

Although Crutchley gave Cannock the lead five minutes into the game, Beeston, with goals from Philip Sully and Richard Stamp, went into the interval leading 2-1 before Crutchley completed his hat- trick and Sharpe added the fourth.

Canterbury are the third Premier club on maximum points following their 5-2 win against Teddington. The Kent side scored three times in the last five minutes after Teddington had had their captain, Brett Garard, taken to hospital with a suspected broken ankle.

After Jon Wyatt had missed a penalty stroke in the second minute, Reading struggled at Chiswick against Hounslow, who took the lead in the 13th minute through William Nurse at a penalty corner. Scott Ashdown equalised for the visitors with Mark Pearn moving them ahead on the interval. Andy Whalley put Hounslow on terms 15 minutes into the second half, with Wyatt scoring the winner a minute later from another penalty stroke.

There was high scoring in the First Division with the South African, Justin King, scoring three times in Chelmsford's 6-2 win against Havant. Simon Lanyon hit four in Iscar's 5-2 win over Sheffield, while Surbiton were the day's top scorers, winning 8-1 at St Alban's with Ben Hall and Simon Tinkler each scoring twice.