SKIPPER Tom Carson netted a hat-trick, but it was Rob Farrow who stole the limelight as Reading cruised into the quarter-finals of the England Hockey Cup with a 7-0 win over Guernsey on Sunday, writes Dave Wright.

He’s a good club man, happy to turn out regularly for the second or third teams.

On Saturday, he attended the Blues’ Christmas party before going into Reading for a few more drinks, making for a very late night.

But during the evening his loyalty to the club was rewarded when he received a call-up for first-team duty, along with two club-mates, Tim Hamilton and Ted Warren.

First-team player-coach Andy Watts had found himself short of his regular squad due to injury, work commitments and unavailability.

But there was still enough quality in the team to outclass a Guernsey side that described the game as the biggest in their history and a David versus Goliath confrontation.

However, the minnows were never really in it, despite a brave fight that lasted for the whole of this third-round tie.

Reading, playing their first home cup tie for three years, took only four minutes to take the lead and after that it was just a matter of how many goals they would chalk up.

Coach Watts said: “We set ourselves a challenge to try to put the game to bed before half-time.

"We played well and could easily have been more than three up. We then just went out and enjoyed ourselves in the second half.”

Watts, Carson (3) and Ciaran O’Connell put Blues five ahead before the scoring was rounded off by Farrow, who scored with two penalty corners , having also been the injector for the second of them.

“That was genius team selection; we knew he could flick a ball,” laughed Watts.

“We were a bit short at the last minute and Rob stepped in and did well, but he needs to get himself fit to push himself up the ranks.”

Blues will be away to cup favourites Beeston in the quarter-finals on February 5.

Watts will again be missing several regulars this weekend when Reading play their first four matches in the indoor league at Bromsgrove School.

He said: “As we have a small group, it’s going to be a bit of a challenge and we are just going to enjoy it this year.”

Reading take on Loughborough Students and Surbiton on Saturday, followed by Team Bath Buccaneers and Bowdon on Sunday.

The women’s matches are being held at the Phoenix in Telford with Reading facing Sutton Coldfield and Buckingham on Saturday, while Sunday’s opponents are Slough and Bowdon Hightown.

Reading midfielder Julie Whiting has been named in the Wales squad for round two of the World League in Kuala Lumpur next month. “I’m happy, excited and proud,” she said after hearing of her selection on Monday.