Hockey: Back-to-back wins send Reading and Guildford to summit

READING, with wins against Surbiton, 3-1 on Saturday and 3-2 away to Southgate yesterday, took over the top spot in the Premier Division of the EHL.

The previous leaders, Canterbury, dropped to third after a 2-3 defeat by Old Loughtonians on Saturday, while Guildford, with wins against Bournville and Surbiton, moved alongside Reading on points.

In Division One, East Grinstead collected their first points of the season in a 3-2 win away to Indian Gymkhana, with their captain, Mahmood Bhatti, scoring twice. In Division Two, Hampstead and Westminster still remain unbeaten after 2-0 victories over Bromley and Oxford University. They are the only team in the National League with maximum points.

Great Britain's coach, Barry Dancer, watched David Mathews score another goal to bring his season's total to 20 in Canterbury's 4-1 victory over a Teddington side who collected their first win of the season on Saturday away at Beeston.

On Saturday, Fyffes Leicester, 4-0 winners against pointless Doncaster, held their lead at the top of the Women's Premier. A 46th-minute Rachel Walsh goal was enough to give Hightown a 1-0 victory over Canterbury to keep them in second place, two points behind Leicester. Ipswich returned to winning form with a 4-0 victory against Chelmsford Highway, with Leisa King scoring twice to move back into third place.