Cougars and Wanderers champions on Tayside

GROVE MENZIESHILL INVITATIONAL INDOOR TOURNAMENT AT
DISC, DUNDEE  –  28-30 DECEMBER 2011.

SPONSORED BY MONTROSE BASED INTERVENTION RENTALS
SUPPORTING THE NORTH SEA OIL SECTOR IN THE LOCAL AREA

Caledonian Cougars, one of the Scotland squads, clawed
their way to 5-3 victory over Scottish champions Inverleith in the
final of the Grove Menzieshill Invitation Indoor Tournament at DISC
in Dundee yesterday. 

The first half belonged to Inverleith`s Chris Grassick and the
Cougar`s Allan Law, both scored twice for a 2-2 half-time
score.  Law opened with a penalty corner in only two minutes,
but Grassick replied also from a set piece, and then took advantage
of a defensive error by Gavin Byers to give the Edinburgh side a
2-1 lead.  In a dramatic last minute before the interval, Law
made it 2-2 from another set piece, then Grassick put his overtime
penalty corner wide of the target.

Inverleith looked to be on their way just after the break when
Stephen Dick put them 3-2 ahead, but after a gap of ten minutes
with no goals, Chris Wilson equalised following a break through by
Byers.  It was the Cougars who stepped up the pace in the
closing minutes and strikes from Gareth Hall and Gary Cameron
ensured their 5-3 victory.

Earlier Inverleith lost their unbeaten record in the final pool
match with a 6-5 defeat at the hands of the same Caledonian
Cougars, courtesy of the last touch goal from Michael Ross as both
side seemed to be  squabbling over penalty corner
awards.   The Edinburgh side were uncharacteristically
slow off their mark and found themselves four down after 15 minutes
through strikes from Gareth Hall (2), Gavin Byers and Ross, Stephen
Dick got a consolation for Inverleith just on the interval.

Inverleith came out a different team in the second half and
fought back to 4-4 through two goals by Derek Salmond and another
from Chris Grassick.  Ross struck again to give the Cougars a
5-4 lead, Grassick again equalised with a shot that went in off a
defender, but Ross` last gasp counter gave him his hat-trick and
the Cougars the points that took them into the final along with
Inverleith.

Hosts Menzieshill finally broke their duck with a 4-1 win over
Wales, a result that put them into the bronze medal play-off. 
But it was the Highland Jaguars who took the medal with a narrow
3-2 win over Menzieshill.

Sam Sangster was the toast of Scottish champions VWS Dundee
Wanderers, her penalty conversion gave the Taysiders a 2-1 win over
the Scotland senior squad and the gold medal in the women`s final.
After the sides had drawn 5-5 in normal time, only Kareena Marshall
scored her penalty for Scotland, Nikki Kidd and Amy Brodie missed,
but Vikki Bunce and Sangster were both on target for Wanderers.

In four minutes Susan McGilveray opened for the Scots but within
seconds Amy Rowan had equalised following good work by Julie
Bryce.  There was then an exchange of penalty corners,
Sangster found the target first, only for Becky Merchant to score
with a high shot.  Bunce proceeded to give Wanderers a 4-2
half time lead, the first went into the roof of the net from a set
piece, the other came from a good passing move that opened up the
Scottish defence.

Within five minutes of the interval the score was level at 4-4,
both goals came from Kidd, the second from the spot after a foul on
the line by Sangster.  Both goalkeeper Carmin Dow and Bunce
were called upon to make crucial saves as Scotland pressed for the
winner, but it was Wanderers who took a 5-4 lead through Ashleigh
Bunce after good work from Rowan.  In a dramatic denouement,
Kat Cameron equalised for Gordon Shepherd`s charges and the chance
of the winner was spurned when Marshall missed the target from the
spot.

Scotland kept their perfect record in the pool matches with
another not so convincing 4-1 win over Grove.  It took
Shepherd`s charges a minute before the interval to strike through
Amy Brodie, but almost immediately Jennifer Smith levelled the
scores.  In the second half Scotland moved ahead through Nikki
Lloyd through a penalty corner, Brodie grabbed her second and the
final goal came from Susan McGilveray.

Wanderers route to the final was fraught with self-inflicted
problems when the Scottish champions surprisingly lost 2-1 to
Grove.  After a goalless first half, it was Grove who took the
lead when Louise Carroll converted from the spot.  Although
Bunce equalised a few minutes later, schoolgirl Rachael Campbell
scored the winner, leaving Wanderers to rue their poor
finishing.   The Taysiders responded in style by whipping
the USA under 21 side 8-0, set piece expert Sam Sangster scored a
hat-trick, Bunce and Amy Rowan both had doubles and Julie Bryce got
the other.

The bronze medal play-off was an all American affair with the
senior squad beating their juniors 5-0.

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