Crunch time as teams play for Indoor National League positions

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This weekend sees teams jostling for position in the final encounters of the league section of the indoor first division championship. The next stage divides the sides into two pools with semi-final places to be gained and relegation to be avoided.

There seems to be no stopping indoor upstarts Bromac Kelburne, they are unbeaten in pole position with an impressive goal tally of 44 in five games. Further, no defences have managed to put the breaks on Johnny Christie – the lethal Paisley striker has bagged 20 goals to date.

The league leaders will be aiming to maintain current form and see off Grange and Hillhead to finish top of the pile at the end of the day, although one might expect Grange and Hillhead will have other ideas.

Stuart Neave, Inverleith`s coach, seems to have accepted that his side will not finish top of the league part of the competition. The champions will be out to take full points from the remaining fixtures against Uddingston and Western Wildcats, but they are a point adrift of leaders Bromac Kelburne who seem invincible at the moment.

On this weekend`s encounters, Neave said: “The job for us this weekend is to focus on each game and to continue to improve on each performance, which I believe we did prior to the break.

“It is highly likely that we will be in Pool B for the group stage of the competition, and regardless of which other teams are also there our focus and goals will remain the same.”

The champions may to have to compete for pole position in that pool with their great rivals Grove Menzieshill who occupy third spot in the table.

Grange are the favourites of many to join Kelburne in Pool A if they can hold onto fourth place; they are currently three points ahead of Hillhead. The Edinburgh side may struggle to take something from the Kelburne encounter earlier in the day but will hope to take the three points from Clydesdale in their second match.

The sides in the lower section of the league face a challenge to pick up any points if they are scheduled to play the top four, but Hillhead have the chance to put some pressure on Grange if they can see off Western, while the clash between Clydesdale and Uddingston will inevitably yield points to the victor.

There are also unexpected pace setters in the women`s first division with Edinburgh University, who played in the second division last season, currently top of the pile in their first ever season in the top flight. But they face four-times champions Dundee Wanderers in their first outing, the Taysiders are likely to be on a backlash as they lost their first game in a couple of seasons 4-3 to Milne Craig Western.

Annie Arthur, Kirsty Abraham, Susan Graham, along with set piece expert Becky Dru have been among the goals for the students, but among their talented ranks Wanderers have playmaker Vikki Bunce whose lethal touch has frequently turned games.

Whatever the outcome Edinburgh will hope to return to the win ethic against Aberdeen Bon-Accord in their second game.

The other top billing is the opening encounter of the day between Tayside rivals Wanderers and Grove Menzieshill, the latter are three points adrift but with a game in hand. Whatever the outcome both Dundee sides, along with Western, are almost certain to contest the top four spots. The Glasgow club have possibly the best chance of picking up maximum points as they take on Wildcats and CALA Edinburgh from the lower reaches of the table.

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