East Grinstead beat Cannock to reignite title hopes

Posted: Monday 23rd February 2009 | 15:52

EAST Grinstead club captain Phillip Coote insists the club can still make a late Premier Division title charge after they pulled off the result of the season in defeating second-place Cannock 2-0.

Inside right Mark Pearn opened the scoring from a short corner before teenage star Andy Piper doubled their advantage following some clever approach play from Ben Payne.

Apart from having a goal disallowed, Cannock were shut out by the outstanding Glenn Kirkham and Adam Harper and Coote believes the performance has laid down a marker for the rest of the season.

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He said: "That was the best we played in the Slazenger league this season and that will hopefully bring a lot of confidence.

"It also shows the character in the team to come back from a defeat against Beeston by beating Southgate 8-1 and outplaying Cannock.

"Next weekend we have got a double header of matches and if results go our way elsewhere then the title will really be on.

"We play Reading the following week and if we play like we did against Cannock then it will be in our own hands."

First priority though for Coote remains securing a top-three finish and requalifying for the European Hockey League where they face France's St Germain in the last 16 in April.

He added: "The over-riding objective for us remains securing qualification for the EHL again.

"Playing in Europe is our lifeblood financially in terms of attracting and retaining sponsors.

"We set ourselves some big goals at the start of the season and winning National League Indoor title means we are 50per cent there."

Reading took full advantage of Cannock's defeat to go take spot on 29 points as they scraped a 1-0 win at Bowdon thanks to Jonty Clarke's 54^th minute strike.

Loughborough Students hammered bottom side Southgate 4-0 on Sunday 24 hours after drawing 2-2 with Beeston.

Alistair Wilson and Martin Jones struck either side of halftime in Beeston's 2-1 win over strugglers Havant.

Meanwhile Surbiton continued to live up to their tag as the league's entertainers as Matt Daly grabbed a hat-trick in their 5-2 win over Hampstead and Westminster - 27 goals have now flown in during the Surrey club's last four matches.

DANIEL SCHOFIELD