Crutchley leads way with goals

Bobby Crutchley, after a strenuous England outdoor training camp at Lilleshall, moved indoors to lead Cannock into the preliminary rounds of the National Indoor Championships with another free-scoring display. Harborne, who finished second, progressed with them.

Crutchley, the outdoor League leading goalscorer, scored 13 times in Cannock's three pool games at Kidderminster on Saturday and yesterday collected another 16 as his team coasted through the Midlands finals.

Yesterday's matches started with last year's finalists, Barford Tigers, being edged out by the odd goal in two fiercely contested and fluctuating games, first going down 5-6 to Stourport -- with Jas Chana scoring four of their goals. Losing by the same score to Harborne in the second game, Chana was again on target with three goals but was also the villain of the piece when, with his side already reduced by a temporary suspension, he applauded the umpire's decision only to find himself joining his colleague. Harborne took control and although finishing with a pair of players under suspension, two late goals from John Keyes, the last in overtime, won the day.

Cannock, in their first two games in the round-robin finals, moved confidently past Harborne 11-3 and then Stourport 15-8. They were made to struggle against Barford Tigers in their final game before emerging 9-7 winners, thanks to six second-half corner conversions by Crutchley and two touch- ins from Andy Humphrey.

Harborne, after leading 4-1 at the interval in their final match, allowed Stourport back into the game before another couple of late goals from Keyes steadied the boat. Andy Bostock got the final goal in a 9-7 victory.