Hockey: Stourport out for revenge

(First Edition)

STOURPORT, who lost 3-2 to St Albans in the final of last year's National Indoor Club Championship after going two goals up, have a chance of revenge later this month in the quarter-finals of this year's tournament, writes Bill Colwill.

They will be hoping to end St Albans' run of five successive titles but much will depend on a fit Jon Roberts, who missed last weekend's Midland Championship with a hamstring injury.

St Albans will be defending their title without the German, Henning Tewes, and Ben Cope, the England Under-21 international, who will play against them for Firebrands should the two teams win their quarter-finals.

INDOOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP (Crystal Palace, 22 Jan) Quarter-finals: Blackheath v Welton (4.0); East Grinstead v Harborne (4.50); St Albans v Stourport (5.40); Firebrands v Old Loughtonians (6.30). Final at 9.30.

Chelmsford, next to bottom in the Second Division, have beaten the National League's 1 January transfer deadline by registering Balwinder Singh and Gundeep Kumar, who played for India in the 1988 Olympics, in an attempt to maintain their league status. Neston lose Justin Pidcock to Cannock and Iftikhar Mirza moves from Southgate to Indian Gymkhana.