Mixed results leave the championship wide open

IF ONE weekend's hockey can prove anything, it is that the league title is well and truly up for grabs. Only Tigers remain unbeaten after a mix of results that left all but Andy Graham's men with at least one defeat already in the hunt for the title.

Even early-season championship favourites Clubhouse Unwantables came away from the past two days with a confident win and a clumsy defeat.

Investec Colombians Rebel Alliance, a week after embarrassing their first team 3-2, were comprehensively beaten 5-2 by a Craig Tiffany-inspired Mosgrove's Yobbos.

The rousing music which greeted the teams - the Star Wars theme tune blared out from a stereo on the sideline - failed to spark the Alliance.

Steve Queripel dived in to tip home a right-wing cross with barely a minute on the watch.

Richard Collenette levelled after a Guy Mallet short-corner strike was half stopped by keeper Adrian Gidney.

But the Alliance gifted away possession all to easily and failed to spread their play across the pitch, making it easy for Tony Veillard and Tiffany to create from the hub of midfield.

The two were at the centre of most of the whites' attacks all match. Yobbos played a fine possession game, passing the ball around with confidence and drawing their opponents out of position.

Nic Chambers stole a loose pass on halfway, broke clear past the last Alliance defender and hammered Yobbos' second into the far corner.

That became 3-1 when Chambers' reverse-stick pass into the heart of the D was turned in by Jon Beck.

And worse was to come after the break, Tiffany finding the net off keeper Aaron Scoones' pads. Scott Ingrouille pulled one back at the second attempt, but Chambers rounded things off with the goal of the game, a fine reverse undercut from the top of the circle.

Tigers profited from a below-par Unwantables performance, recording a deserved 3-1 victory.

After an ill-tempered start, Barry Wallace put the dark-blues ahead from the spot after Dave Enevoldsen had been clattered in the D.

New signing Adam Kitching levelled 10min. after the turn-around, only for UHC to throw away a goal, Mark Babbe seizing on a poor free hit and feeding Andy Bell whose first-time strike beat Paul Bullock's left foot.

As UHC pushed for an equaliser, Tigers wrapped up the points with a breakaway third: Enevoldsen and Bell broke clear and though Bullock saved Bell's first shot, the striker tucked away the rebound from a yard out.

However, 24 hours later, UHC, and their two former Investec Colombians, Kitching and Jamie Chambers, made the defending champions pay for a succession of x-rated challenges in the 25.

Adie Peacegood fired home the first for the black-and-reds from a short-corner only for Chris Gill to level the same way.

Chambers cleverly tipped in a short-corner strike to make it 2-1 and Kitching also scored against his former club after the ball had been switched to the right of the D.

Chambers converted a penalty stroke to put the match beyond Colombians.

*In the women's division, a Kath Hyman hat-trick was just enough as Approved Personnel Panthers beat Ship & Crown Puffins 3-2.

Katherine Andrews levelled at 1-1 after Amanda de Carteret hit the post from the spot, but two goals by Hyman soon after the break gave Panthers a cushion, the second a lovely finish after a slick one-two with Helen Wills.

De Carteret was also denied again from the spot before Jo Robinson turned in Laura Webber's cross to give Panthers an anxious last 20min.