Hockey: Lee lifts Old Loughts

With just three points separating the top eight teams in the Premier Division of the National League, the going is getting tough.

The leaders, Old Loughtonians, who had two impressive wins last weekend, entertain the highly talented but at times unpredictable East Grinstead tomorrow. The Old Boys expect to have Great Britain international Jason Lee, a former Grinstead player, back in their squad but are otherwise unchanged. Grinstead will be missing Scottish international Marc Zander who was injured last weekend.

Second-placed Reading travel to Guildford who are not having the best of seasons in spite of the goalscoring triumphs of their player-coach, Ian Jennings. The all-attacking Cannock, currently in third place, visit Teddington, who are still without the Great Britain captain Jason Laslett, taking a well earned rest after his Olympic exertions. So there is unlikely to be any change in the top three places on Sunday evening.

At the bottom, Havant, without a point, go to the Midlands to play Barford Tigers and are unlikely to receive any charity.

Southgate's player-coach, James Duthie, will be returning to struggling Surbiton - the side he coached for the past three years, alongside Nigel D'Cruz who left the Surrey club to move north of the river just a couple of weeks ago. Surbiton's midfield was strengthened last week with the arrival of the Pakistan under-21 international Mashood Hussain, but it is the leaks in defence left by Duthie's departure they need to plug.

In the First Division Beeston, three points clear of Bournville, entertain Sheffield and look set to maintain their lead.