Hockey: Ramsden hat-trick turns the tide for Cannock

Cannock and Reading maintained their 100 per cent records at the top of the National League First Division and have opened up a three-point gap ahead of third placed Loughborough Students.

Cannock and Reading maintained their 100 per cent records at the top of the National League First Division and have opened up a three-point gap ahead of third placed Loughborough Students.

It was not, however, plain sailing for Cannock who, visiting Chelmsford, trailed 0-2 at the interval. A Simon Ramsden set piece hat-trick steadied the boat with the visitors eventually running out 6-4 winners.

Reading had it much easier at home to Guildford, with two goals each from Jonty Clarke, Andy Todd and Richard Mantell helping them to an 8-1 victory.

Elsewhere, Loughborough won a nine-goal thriller at Chigwell, beating Old Loughtonians 5-4, while two goals inside the opening 10 minutes from Tim Pinnock set up Surbiton's 2-1 win away to Teddington. St Albans' wretched, point-less season continued with an 11-0 defeat from visiting Firebrands.

Chelmsford kept their one-point lead at the top of the Women's National League First Division with a 3-0 win over the bottom side Sutton Coldfield. The Barbardian student Patrina Braithwaite set them on their way with her first National League goal. They remain ahead of Canterbury, 5-0 winners against Trojans, and the defending champions, Bowdon Hightown, whose player-coach, Tina Cullen, scored a hat-trick to give her side a narrow 4-3 win against Harleston Magpies.

Cullen scored twice again yesterday in her side's 3-2 EH Cup third-round victory at Bath Buccaneers, in a round with no surprises. Harleston's Angie Banham was the day's top scorer with four in their 10- 0 win at Southampton.