Hockey: Barnes keeps Reading on top

Reading maintained their six-point lead at the top of the Premier Division with a 4-3 win away to Loughborough Students.

Surbiton, meanwhile, were winners by the only goal at home to Hampstead and Westminster, with Stuart Head's 40th-minute strike, and moved ahead of Cannock into second place following Cannock's 2-3 defeat at Guildford.

With three minutes of the match remaining Students were leading Reading 3-2 at Loughborough before goals from the New Zealander Simon Towns and Ben Barnes saw the visiting team home.

It was another late goal at Guildford that saw the undoing of Cannock. Guildford's substitute Adrian Wilkinson came off a sick bed to complete a well-taken hat-trick with a last minute goal. His shot appeared to catch the England goalkeeper Jimi Lewis by surprise – the ball finding its way between his pads.

Struggling Southgate were off to a good start with a second-minute goal from their captain, Jon Peckett, at Chigwell only to be pegged back by a penalty corner goal from Ian Morrison just before the interval.

Old Loughtonians played most of the second half with 10 men following the suspension of the Australian Steve Carter in the 40th minute. Carter was shown the yellow-card for retaliation by the umpire Neil Smith who then turned the suspension into a permanent red card after the Australian threatened to "get" the Southgate player after the game.

In the remaining game Canterbury won 4-3 away to Teddington with all their goals coming in a six-minute blitz early in the second half.