Hockey: Hounslow look to maintain lead

HOUNSLOW, the current PizzaExpress First Division leaders, will again be without their captain Simon Hazlitt at home to St Albans but should be too strong for the Hertfordshire side which conceded six goals against East Grinstead last week. While still without Andy Halliday, St Albans will be strengthened by the return of Malcolm Day.

Second-placed Southgate will be missing their experienced defender James Duthie for the visit to Hull to play Welton but, with John Shaw at last having found the way to goal, should beat the Yorkshire side.

Havant, fighting to find form after their early-season disappointments, suffered a setback with their Cup defeat by Slough last Sunday and face another tough assignment today with the visit to East Grinstead. Havant hope to have Scottish international Derek Cunliffe fit again to shore up their defence.

Slough will be riding high for the visit of Stourport who suffered their first defeat of the season last Saturday at home to Firebrands. The Midlands side have Jon Roberts back in their midfield but have a doubt about their captain, goalkeeper Steve Taylor, who has a hamstring injury.

Reading, five points clear at the top of the Second Division, play struggling Old Kingstonians and look likely to take their significant lead into the mid-season break.

Tomorrow the Norwich Union East Premier League runaway leaders, Redbridge and Ilford, play off their delayed fourth- round tie in the Royal Bank of Scotland HA Cup against Isca from the Second Division of the National League, with a fifth-round home tie against Teddington the prize.

Leading National League goalscorers: 12 P Osborn (Reading); 11 N Thompson (Old Loughtonians); 10 I Sherwani (Stourport), R Welch (Southgate) & R Hill (Firebrands).