Hockey: Table-topping Cannock fired by five-star Crutchley

Cannock and Old Loughtonians were the only two Premier League teams to come out of the double-header weekend unscathed. Cannock notched up five goals without reply against Barford Tigers on Saturday and went one better yesterday when they beat Doncaster 6-1 with Bobby Crutchley's hat-trick taking his weekend tally to five.

Cannock have increased their lead at the top to four points, with East Grinstead moving into second place. Grinstead went down 2-0 to Teddington on Saturday but crushed Hounslow 6-2 in their second game.

Old Loughtonians were drawing 4-4 with Canterbury on Saturday when Canterbury's goal- keeper, Simon Triggs, was forced off due to an injury and the Kent club then conceded three late goals to lose 7-4. Yesterday the Old Boys beat defending champions Reading 4-3 thanks to three goals from Jason Lee.

It was an up and down weekend for relegation candidates Doncaster and Beeston. Doncaster smashed Beeston 7-1 on Saturday before suffering a similar fate themselves at the hands of Cannock, while Beeston beat Barford Tigers 4-2 yesterday.

Guildford's dismal form continues and they are four points adrift at the bottom. After a fighting display against Reading on Saturday before they went down 4-3, they were taken apart by Canterbury yesterday, losing 6-2, with the Welsh captain, Dave Hacker, scoring twice.