READING Men crashed to a 6-2 defeat at Surbiton with two of their former players netting three of the goals.

Ben Boon, with a brace, and James Royce both scored in the last 16 minutes to end Blues’ brave resistance against their second-in-the table hosts.

The scoreline was cruel on them as they were very much in the picture in an entertaining game at Sugden Road on Saturday.

Jason Lee’s men fell behind to an Arjan Drayton Chana strike in a one-on-one with keeper Chris Wyver after 11 minutes, but it took them just a minute to equaliser with a smart finish from Lee Morton.

Scott Evans restored the Surrey side’s lead a minute before the interval, only for the visitors to reply again, this time through a Charlie Ellison penalty nine minutes into the second half.

With 20 minutes remaining this Premier Division encounter hung in the balance, however, the Blues then switched off and were sent reeling by three goals in quick succession.

Alan Forstyth put Surbiton 3-2 ahead in the 52nd minute and two minutes later Royce added their fourth from a penalty corner with Boon netting again almost immediately afterwards.

And it was Boon, who had switched clubs during the close season, who rounded things off with his second and Surbiton’s sixth with less than two minutes left on the clock.

Reading, sixth in the table, have now conceded 11 goals in their last two away games.

This coming Saturday (6.30pm) they host seventh-placed Wimbledon, who defeated struggling Sevenoaks 5-2 last weekend to register their first league win of the campaign.

Blues defender Stuart Loughrey has been named in the Ireland squad for next month’s World Cup in Bhubaneswar, India.

The 16-team tournament runs from November 28 November to December 16, with Ireland joined by world number one ranked Australia, England and China in Pool B.

Ireland, currently 10th in the world rankings, will warm-up for the World Cup by competing in a four-nations tournament in Valencia along with England, Spain and the Netherlands.

Reading Women, ending a run of three successive defeats, secured their first Ivestec League Conference West point of the season when holding hosts Exe to a goalless draw in Devon, but it means they have yet to score a goal from open play.

It was the home side’s third draw in four fixtures.

This coming Saturday (4.30pm) Blues host Barnes.

Their recent signing, 32-year-old Australian forward Tracey Johnson, is set to make her home debut.