Hockey: Powell is the top gun

Royal Navy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0

Royal Air Force. . . . . . . . . . . . .1

NEIL POWELL, with a 39th- minute goal, gave the favourities, the Royal Air Force, a win against the Royal Navy in a drab game on the second day of the Inter-Services Championship at Aldershot yesterday. Today, the airmen meet the Army and only victory will secure them the title, won last year by the soldiers, writes Bill Colwill.

With the Navy beaten 6-1 by the Army on Wednesday, the Navy might have been excused a tenative start against the RAF. But with Oxford University's Steve Liddle probing from midfield, it was the senior service who were first into the attack although their finishing left much to be desired.

The RAF moved up a gear as the interval approached and it was only two smart saves from the goalkeeper Mick Warriner which ensured a deadlock at half-time.

An all-out assault on the Navy goal at the beginning of the second half brought the only score after four minutes. Malik Haleem provided the pass for Powell to beat Warriner from close quarters.

Goals from Sarah Billingham and Terri Bennett gave the Army a 2-0 win over the Royal Navy in the women's competiton yesterday, setting up an Army-RAF final today.

Royal Navy: AB M Warriner; Lt-Cdr I Bisson, WEM P Reidy, Lt G Dale-Smith (capt), Lt M Darlington, 2nd Lt S Liddle, LWTR L Watson, CPO S Mitchell, Marine D Clark, PO J Smith, Lt A Marley. Substitutes used: AEM N Rogers, LSA S Hill, LPT N Kartor.

Royal Air Force: Flt Lt A Seaton; Flt Lt C Sheridan, SAC Z Hussain, FO K Dempsey, SAC M Wheildon, FO M Haleem, Flt Lt F MacLean (capt), FO G Gartmell, Flt Lt S Breary, Flt Lt N Powell, Flt Lt M Evans. Substitute used: SAC T Kelly.

Umpires: Lt A Powell (RN) and Cpl T Norwood (Army).