Outdoor restarts with Scottish Cup quarter-finals

League form can sometimes be a guide to the outcome of cup matches but it is often on-the-day events that can decide the destiny of such one-off matches – that`s what can make the magic of the cup.

So let`s start with last year`s men’s finalists Western Wildcats and Hillhead who are still involved in the men`s Scottish Cup quarter-finals.

Holders Western are away to Inverleith, a side they beat 9-1 in the Premiership – that day it was the seven goals from Andrew McConnell that did most of the damage. That was a bad day for the Edinburgh side, but since then Inverleith won their next three outings and moved up to sixth in the table.

Fellow finalists Hillhead are also in Edinburgh to take on an ESM side that are second bottom in the Premiership with only a single win to their credit. The sides met at the same venue back in November, it was close with Hillhead emerging 4-3 winners following goals from Andrew Black, Andrew Sinclair (2) and John Reid – it might be as close again.

The tie of the round between Edinburgh University and Grange has all the hallmarks of a cracker – it is a local derby, it is between the third placed side and the Premiership leaders, and the league match finished 3-3. That was a pulsating affair, Grange were two up through Dylan Bean, the students then marched into a 3-2 lead through Keir Robb and two Robbie Croll penalty corners, and finally Duncan Riddell forced the ball over the line for a last minute equaliser. Hopefully the cup tie will be as exciting.

The final quarter-final tie has all the ingredients to grab attention – Grove Menzieshill are top of the second tier, they are at home in Dundee, and the visitors are Kelburne who in the lower echelons of the Premiership with only two wins in nine games. In the last round Kelburne faced Dundee Wanderers who are in third place in the second tier, and came away with a 3-2 victory.

In the women`s cup quarter-finals it might take a lot to stop the advance of the top three sides in the Premiership.

Leaders Watsonians take on Edinburgh University`s third string – a huge challenge as the champions have already scored 68 goals in nine Premiership games.

Edinburgh HC are second top of the National League and face a visit to Auchenhowie to go against a Wildcats side that have only lost twice in the league.

And finally second placed Edinburgh visit Glasgow in an all-university clash. Earlier in the season the former won fairly easily 6-1 with Amy Brodie getting a hat-trick. Glasgow have risen to eighth in the Premiership but are still very much underdogs for this one.

So that leaves the all-Glasgow clash between GHK and Hillhead to perhaps trouble the pundits. Firstly, they are fifth and sixth respectively in the Premiership, although GHK are four points ahead. As regards to the head-to-head between the sides in the Premiership, that happens the following weekend – so no hints there.

 

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