Draws for Grange and Wanderers

Grange made heavy weather of stealing a 3-3 draw with
Czech side Rakovnik in their opening pool match at the European
Club Champions Challenge in Zagreb.  

 In a game that Grange should have won hands down
considering the number of chances that went astray, the Edinburgh
side suddenly found themselves 3-2 down with two minutes
remaining.  But honour was finally saved when Colin McIver won
a belated penalty corner and Fraser Sands beat the goalkeeper with
a powerful low flick in at the right hand post to ensure a share of
the points at the end.

The Scots got off to the best of starts when 15 year old Hamish
Imrie pushed the ball home following a pass from Phil
Sully.   Grange should have doubled their account, Martin
Kelly was taken out in the act of shooting, but the normally
reliable Rob Barr put his spot effort high over the
bar.   The miss was punished with the Czechs levelling
the score, but in the final four minutes of the half under 21
internationalist Adam Walker won a penalty corner and Sands drilled
a low shot into the net.

Although the Scots continued to have control of the game and
contrived to waste a further nine penalty corners, it was Rakovnik
who proved the more composed in front of goal and went into a 3-2
lead before Sands` late strike salvaged a draw.

“It was a very disappointing result, we had some very good
spells and should have scored a barrowload of goals, but we allowed
the Czechs to take advantage of their long balls out of defence,”
said Stuart McMorrow, Grange`s manager.

Today Grange play Eagles from Gibraltar and a draw would be
enough for the Scots to advance to Monday`s promotion
play-offs.

In the equivalent women`s competition in Switzerland VWS
Dundee Wanderers` chances of promotion took a nose dive when they
could only draw 3-3 with Czech side Praha, and now must beat
Amiscora from Italy in today`s final pool match to keep their hopes
alive.

The Taysiders were two up at the interval through strikes by
Jenny Gerrard and Becky Ward.  Early in the second half the
Czechs levelled at 2-2, but Ward struck again to take a 3-2
lead.   Praha quickly equalised again, the Scots then
pressed for the winner but failed with eight penalty corners while
Ward hit the bar and had another effort cleared off the line.

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