One of hockey's all-time greats is backing East Grinstead's bid to get back among the sport's elite.

Richard Leman, who helped Great Britain to gold at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, believes it is vital for the area to have top flight hockey again.

The chances of that happening received a huge boost yesterday when East Grinstead won 4-3 in a thrilling top-of-the-table clash with Old Georgians at Saint Hill.

With just seconds left on the clock, Dwain Quan Chan touched home a winner to put Grinstead top of National League division two, three points clear of OGs.

Leman's association with East Grinstead goes back many years. He played for the club when they were considered among the best in the country and he still turns out for the veterans.

He was also a key figure in East Grinstead Sports and Country Club winning the bid to become the old English Hockey Association's academy for the South East, leaving them with one of the best pitches in the country.

On the pitch, the club's fortunes have suffered over the last five years. Following relegation from the premier division in 1999, they dropped another level in 2001.

But a revival was sparked by the appointment of Trinidad and Tobago international captain Kwan Browne as player-coach last summer and Grinstead have been in tremendous form since.

Leman said: "It is always nice to have the 1st XI at the top of the premier league. Because of continuity problems that all clubs have, it is difficult to maintain that level all the time.

"We have fallen off the cliff and are trying to pick ourselves up.

"A lot of time and effort has been put into the facilities we now have. We have a five-star pitch and we want a team to match it.

"Kwan Browne has made a large difference in the attitude and discipline of the players. They have enthusiasm to play and perform at the highest level which perhaps has been lacking in previous years.

"With the facilities we have, there should be top quality hockey being played on the pitch every weekend. We want to have the men's and ladies' teams playing at the top of their respective leagues. These are visions which we are trying to achieve and we have got the right people in place to make these things happen."

Grinstead went into yesterday's clash unbeaten and boasting a 100 per cent home record but they trailed OGs on goal difference.

The visitors boasted the top goalscorer in the National League in James Tindall and he needed just ten minutes to bag his 29th of the campaign from a short corner.

At that stage OGs were in control of proceedings. Grinstead had lost Richard Payne to a yellow card and they were struggling to get their game together.

The tide turned, though, when Browne scored his 12th goal of the season from Grinstead's second short corner midway through the first half before 16-year-old Ashley Jackson burst through to make it 2-1 with a cool finish which belied his years.

In the second half, Grinstead seemed to step up a gear and Browne was denied his second by a smart reaction save from OGs' Sussex-based goalkeeper Mark Limbrick.

It was somewhat against the run of play that Giles Wood levelled from open play on 46 minutes but Grinstead responded immediately when some great approach play by Browne and Quan Chan ended with Duncan Howarth smashing the ball home.

Despite losing goalkeeper Giles Dakin to injury, Grinstead seemed to be holding on for a deserved victory when William Glover made it 3-3 from a disputed short corner.

There seemed no time left but six minutes were added on and in the final few seconds Howarth burst into the D and the ball broke loose for Trinidad and Tobago international Quan Chan to apply the finishing touch.

Browne said: "I'm really pleased with the performance. It was a close game but I thought we were the better side in the second half."