Hockey: Odds favour Reading
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Your support makes all the difference.READING and Beeston will be playing for a home semi-final tie against Teddington in the Royal Bank of Scotland Hockey Association Cup when they meet in their postponed quarter-final game at Sonning Lane this afternoon.
Reading's manager, Ted Milam, expressed his confidence. 'We registered our 10th successive victory last Sunday and Paddy Osborn's 100th League goal and, with the advantage of playing on our own water-based pitch, we are very confident,' he said.
'The postponement from last Saturday because Beeston had players absent surprised me, but has been to our advantage. We now have a home League fixture on Sunday, rather than travelling to Exeter as we did last week, so it increases our League title chances.'
Graham Griffiths, Beeston's manager, is equally confident. He said: 'You need a certain amount of luck to be giantkillers but we create our own. We don't intend to give Reading an easy ride. Whilst they are unbeaten this season, someone has to derail them. That someone is going to be Beeston.'
Beeston are at full strength apart from Chris Roberts, who has returned to Coventry and North Warwick - the side he started out with as captain at the beginning of the season. The odds favour the home side.
Reading, seven points clear in the PizzaExpress National League Second Division, entertain Harleston Magpies tomorrow and should march on towards the First Division. Beeston travel on to Exeter to play Isca to complete their tough weekend on the road.
In the First Division, Hounslow return to Cannock, scene of their Cup win last week, three points ahead of Southgate and very much in contention for the first League and Cup double. Southgate, at home to St Albans, are now the only club that can realistically stop Hounslow winning the League.
With the news during the week of the decision to cancel this season's League Cup play-offs for the top four teams in each of the divisions, much of the interest has evaporated for the trailing clubs. The decision has been criticised by several of the clubs likely to have been involved, particularly as it was apparently made without consulting the clubs who would have been happy to play without their players required for the two recently arranged England internationals in Germany from 3 to 4 April.
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