Good start important for Inverleith

ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT NATIONAL LEAGUE

Stevie McCurry, Inverleith`s coach, made a telling point
regarding this season`s national league campaign, sponsored by
Aberdeen Asset Management.  “With there only being 13 games
this season, it`s even more important than in other seasons to get
off to a good start.”

Champions Glynhill Kelburne and last year`s runners-up Grange
have done just that, the former beat AAM Gordonians 12-2 while the
Edinburgh side had a 6-1 victory over AMN Hillhead, now it is the
turn of other likely challengers Inverleith and Western
Wildcats.

McCurry`s charges, who won the Presidents Cup last week with a
3-0 win over local rivals Grange, have perhaps a potential
banana-skin confrontation with Grove Menzieshill on
Tayside.   The equivalent fixture last season finished in
a 3-3 draw, two penalty corner strikes from Adam McKenzie and a
further goal by Andrew Sinclair were the Inverleith scorers, while
Chris Anderson, now coach at Menzieshill, Ollie James and Chris
Wilson were on target for the Dundonians.

“Menzieshill will be a tough game, they are a very good
side.   Although we beat them in the Presidents Cup, both
teams were missing a number of players, so we won`t be reading too
much into that result – we expect a very close game,” said
McCurry.

The Taysiders have already tasted victory in the league this
season, a 3-0 home win over Edinburgh University, and although the
scoreline was fairly clear-cut, observers were not so impressed by
the Menzieshill performance.

Inverleith finished fourth in last year`s table, and a
determined McCurry said:  “Our target is to improve on last
season, to finish at least second in the league and reach the cup
final.”   Three points on Tayside would give that aim a
feeling of reality.

Paul Ritchie and Andy Malcolm are definitely out with hamstring
injuries, but McCurry hopes to have Scotland defender Adam McKenzie
back in action, a final decision will be taken nearer the
game.  (DISC @ 13.00)

Western Wildcats, third last season, have the ingredients to
mount a serious challenge to Kelburne`s eight year hegemony, but
there are question marks about their consistency.   Twin
strikers Douglas Simpson and Scott McCartney are the nation`s top
predators, they combined to destroy Kelburne 5-3 in the closing
game of last season,   But then again the Auchenhowie
side drew 3-3 with Edinburgh University in the course of the same
season – and the students are this Saturday`s opponents at
Peffermill.

“We had a poor start last season and it ultimately cost us
European qualification.   Our target this season are to
improve our consistency, if we can learn to close out games better,
we will probably be able to change draws into wins.

“It will be a difficult task as other teams have improved, so
therefore we will have to raise our game,” said Vishal Marwaha, the
Wildcats` coach.

Marwaha envisages a tough game against the Edinburgh students,
but three points here is essential for the Wildcats if they hope to
make a serious impact this season.   Three players are on
the Wildcats` injury list, veteran defenders Euan Miller and Andrew
Sewmauth along with Charlie Hibbert.    (Peffermill
@ 12.30)

PSL Team Sport Clydesdale also blew hot and cold last season,
they finished fifth, but left the season on a high with a hat-trick
of wins.   AMN Hillhead are the visitors to Titwood on
Saturday, and last time out the match ended in a 3-3
draw.   Clydesdale`s form is as yet unknown, however
Hillhead started their campaign on the wrong end of a 6-1 reversal
by Grange.  (Titwood @ 14.30)

Finally, the Kelburne goal machine, in good working order
against Gordonians last Saturday, could well be in operation again
for the visit to Watsonians.   Alan Forsyth, former
Clydesdale`s Ben Peterson and Michael Christie have already found
the net on more than one occasion.  (Mary Erskine School
@15.30)

The women`s league programme has been decimated by the demands of
downtime for the Scotland players after the rigours of the
Champions Challenge, and only the clash between Inverleith and CALA
Edinburgh has survived.   The latter must be pre-match
favourites for the occasion, CALA finished last season in sixth
place, while newly promoted Inverleith may find life in the top
flight a little testing. (Mary Erskine School @ 14.00)

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