Hockey: Injuries hit Cannock bid for play-offs

With Reading and Hightown waiting to know their opponents for this season's Premiership play-offs next Sunday, the final preliminary games take place today.

With Reading and Hightown waiting to know their opponents for this season's Premiership play-offs next Sunday, the final preliminary games take place today.

Cannock, hit by injury problems to three of their Great Britain players last week, have no better news for their game this afternoon against Loughborough Students.

Indeed, they now have doubts about ex-internationals Nick Thompson and Paul Edwards and will be sweating on the return of Ben Sharpe in time from a business trip. Robbie Smith (England Under-16) and Hardeep (Harry) Jawanda (England Under-18) will again be in the squad.

In the women's game, Canterbury visit Chelmsford. The Kent side continued their impressive European form at Easter, when they took the Silver medal in the Cup Winners' Cup competition in Larne, with two excellent wins last weekend and on this form must be strong favourites to win their first Premiership title.

They lost narrowly 2-1 to Slough in last year's event. With a sound defence and quick-breaking forwards, who always looked dangerous on the counter-attack, they are a well balanced side.