Hockey: Depleted Ipswich look for win double

Nothing short of two wins at Cannock this weekend against Sutton Coldfield will satisfy Ipswich if they are to keep alive their League and Cup hopes.

The Suffolk side have had a torrid season with injuries and work commitments but are clinging on to second place, three points behind Slough.

This weekend they are without their captain, Lucy Youngs, with a foot injury for both games, Also missing is Colleen Adcock, who has long-term back problems.

For Saturday's League game they will also be minus Kirsten Spencer and Debbie Rawlinson. Both return for the third-round Cup game on Sunday but police officer Sarah Bamfield will miss Sunday's game.

Ipswich will recall that the last time they had a double fixture they lost the Saturday League game against Slough and bounced back the next day to knock Slough out of the Cup.

Slough, the leaders, also have their injury problems but with such a large and talented squad, their coach, John Shaw, was confident of maintaining maximum league points when they entertain Trojans, and also of winning their cup match against Second Division Sherwood in Nottingham on Sunday.

Hightown, the Cup holders, who can spend the weekend at home at Formby, may have to work hard to quell Olton's youngsters in tomorrow's League encounter but are unlikely to be troubled on Sunday by Hampstead and Westminster.

Goals are likely to be scarce in the top of the table First Division match between Canterbury, on maximum points, and second-placed Leicester. Both clubs have splendid defensive records. In Sunday's Cup games it could be just the opposite as Canterbury travel to non-League Stratford and Leicester entertain St Albans, who lost their National status last season.