Pivotal weekend on Tayside for Kelburne

SUBWAY NATIONAL LEAGUE (MEN)

Glynhill Kelburne manager Harry Coles sees this weekend
as pivotal in the destiny of the Subway national league
championship, the Paisley side have a double header against bottom
side VWS Dundee Wanderers on Saturday and Grove Menzieshill the
fol;lowing day.  

Given that Kelburne have yet to drop a single point in the
campaign so far, six points this weekend on Tayside is a realistic
prospect, and Coles` charges would only require a further four
points to guarantee their eighth consecutive title.

“This weekend could be a very significant occasion in terms of
the championship.   But we expect a tough contest in both
games, especially against Menzieshill who have shown some very good
form of late, scoring plenty of goals,” said Coles.

However, Coles` reticence is not borne out by the statistics,
earlier in the season Kelburne beat Wanderers 5-0 and Menzieshill
9-0 with Alan Forsyth, Jonny Christie and Mark Ralph from the set
pieces doing most of the damage.  (Saturday at Riverside Park
at 15.00).

It is the battle for second spot and a place in Europe next
season that is focussing the minds of the coaches of Grange,
Western Wildcats and Inverleith.  After last weekend`s
thrilling 3-3 draw with the Wildcats, Grange still hold a three
point lead over the Auchenhowie outfit, but with a game more
played.  At the moment Inverleith trail Western by a further
two points, but also with the luxury of a game in hand.

“Currently we are fourth in the table, at the start of the
season we set ourselves a target of finishing in the top
three.  At the moment we are still on track for this target,
and if we could finish second, then I think that would be a great
achievement,” said Stephen McCurry Inverleith`s coach.

The Edinburgh side have a catch-up weekend, a double header
against CALA and Edinburgh University, and six points here would
overtake the Wildcats into third place. 

McCurry is certainly not counting his chickens against teams
below Inverleith in the table.  “Both will be very hard
games.  In the first half of the season, we dominated the game
against CALA for long spells, but we only won the game by the odd
goal in five.   Our game against Edinburgh University
ended in a 2-2 draw, so it will not be easy to take the six points,
and we will take nothing for granted.”

The 2-0 win over bottom side VWS Dundee Wanderers last weekend
gave Inverleith a winning start to the second half of the season,
but McCurry was the first to admit that his charges were not firing
on all cylinders that day.    

Inverleith will almost be at full strength for the double header
weekend, the only absentee is defender and penalty corners expert
Adam McKenzie, still nursing a broken finger sustained in the
recent European Indoor Club Trophy.   (Saturday at
Peffermill 13.30 – Sunday at Peffermill at 14.15)

Grange also take on the Edinburgh students today and a win would
preserve their second place status.  Rob Barr`s charges blew
hot and cold in last week`s draw with the Wildcats, but a Phil
Sully double was enough to see off Edinburgh earlier in the
season.  (Peffermill at 13.15)

Western entertain Grove Menzieshill in a fixture fraught with
pitfalls.  In the first game of the season the contest ended
3-3, Scott McCartney (2) and Douglas Simpson doing the damage, and
in addition the Taysiders are unbeaten in their last five league
encounters.

With four points in their last two games, AMN Hillhead are
beginning to claw their way to safety from the relegation
zone,  and are now only three points behind third bottom CALA
and with a game in hand.  Further progress could be made if
they could take something from the visit of unpredictable Greaves
Clydesdale. 

“I think we can won against Clydesdale, both matches so far this
season have been closely contested affairs,” said Keith Joss,
Hillhead`s coach.   “Prior to the turn of the year, in
league matches we were performing better than the results may have
suggested, and the four points gained in the past two weeks keeps
us on track for the target we have set.”

In fact, Hillhead`s results against Clydesdale have been
encouraging for Joss, a 3-3 away draw in the opening league game of
the season, then a 3-0 win at Jordanhill to dump the Titwood side
out of the Scottish Cup.   But Joss has a few injury
problems, in particular Matt McIntrye is out with a broken thumb
and Wei Adams with a hip problem.  (Jordanhill School at
14.25)

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