Hockey: Watts ensures Reading keep pressure on leaders

Reading started with a little hesitancy on Saturday before beating Loughborough Students 4-2 with Andy Watts scoring twice. They are now second behind Cannock at the top of the Premier League. The overnight leaders Hampstead and Westminster went down 5-2 at Cannock.

In the EH Cup on Sunday, Reading thrashed Hounslow and Ealing 9-0 with Howard Hoskin scoring four times. Cannock were also comprehensive winners in the Cup, beating Timperley 9-1 including a hat-trick from Andy Brogdon.

It was something of a crazy weekend for Oxford Hawks. Beaten 9-0 on Saturday by newcomers Old Georgians in the League, they bounced back with an 11-1 Cup victory against Luton Town with hat-tricks from Ally McShane and Simon Taylor. Old Georgians James Tindell followed up his hat-trick against Hawks on Saturday with six goals in the Old Boys 9-1 Cup victory against Bedford.

In a day of few upsets, Firebrands' Tim Barralet-Leak's golden goal away at Premier League Guildford to win 3-2 was probably the biggest.

A last-minute goal from Firebrands on Saturday denied past Cup winners Southgate their first League point of the season, and yesterday Southgare exited the Cup thanks to a Golden goal from Chelmsford's David de Prez in an entertaining game which did not justify the four temporary suspensions handed out.

Chelmsford maintained their three-point lead at the top of the Women's Premier League with a fine 5-2 win at home to Olton and West Warwick. Defending Champions Slough, lost 4-3 at Doncaster. There was also an upset for First Division leaders Trojans, dropping their first points of the season, with a 3-1 home defeat by Harleston Magpies.