Second half of outdoor season gets underway

The outdoor National League 1 programme starts in earnest after the winter shutdown with four games each on the men`s and women`s card.

The top fixture of the day in men’s National League 1 is undoubtedly Grange`s trip to Tayside to take on third placed Grove Menzieshill. A banana skin encounter for the unbeaten leaders, last season the Edinburgh side found themselves three down with ten minutes left, but still managed to salvage a 3-3 draw in the end.

But the wind could be in Grange`s favour. Grove Menzieshill will be approaching the game on the back of a tough indoor European campaign last weekend and have less than a week to readjust to the outdoor game. In contrast, Grange already have a competitive league game under their belt, last weekend they were also in Dundee and came away with a 6-2 victory over Wanderers.

Second half of outdoor season gets underway
Photo by Duncan Gray

However, all this is conjecture and certain to be ignored by Grange coach David Knipe as he prepares his charges for one of the most difficult games of the season. The league leaders did take the three points in the initial encounter at Fettes, a penalty corner conversion by Dominic Wild and a good finish from the top of the circle by Frank Ryan was sufficient for a 2-1 win, Albert Rowling replied for the Taysiders.

Kelburne will host Clydesdale, and Clydesdale start the second half of the season on the back of a five game losing streak and lost the earlier game 6-3, that day there were hat-tricks for Johnny Christie and Josh Cairns. But Gordon Shepherd will guard against the possibility of a rogue result, just like the unexpected 4-4 draw with second bottom Uddingston back in October.

Western Wildcats currently occupy fourth place in the table, only two points adrift of Grove Menzieshill and six ahead of Edinburgh University, coach Harry Dunlop will want to consolidate that top four spot with a home win over Uddingston. Wildcats were 1-0 winners in the equivalent fixture earlier in the season, Rob Harwood with a first half penalty was the only scorer that day. The Wildcats` striker may want to celebrate his recent first Scotland cap and Commonwealth Games selection with further goals at Auchenhowie on Saturday.

Inverleith have had a season of dramatic contrasts, only a couple of weeks ago they claimed the indoor championship, and yet sit firmly at the foot of the outdoor first division with only a single point. On Saturday they make the short trip to Peffermill to take on an Edinburgh University side that must still harbour aspirations of a top four spot.

Second half of outdoor season gets underway
Photo by Andy Lovat

The women`s card is unlikely to change things at the top of the table, in the earlier outdoor encounters Edinburgh University, Milne Craig Clydesdale Western, Grove Menzieshill and Wildcats totalled 16 goals against the opposition from the lower reaches of the table.

University are still in pole position three points ahead of Grove Menzieshill, and will look to maintain that status at home to Watsonians. The latter emerged the best of the teams in the bottom half of the league with 13 points from their ten games, but they succumbed 5-2 in the first encounter, Laura Swanson (2), Ali Eadie, Hanna McKie and Zara Malseed doing the damage for Sam Judge`s side.

Grove Menzieshill should certainly keep up the pressure against a Grange side that presently occupy second bottom spot in the table, especially if Sarah Jamieson is going to maintain her lethal form in front of goal.

Western will hope to see off bottom side Kelburne, the Paisley side have yet to break their duck this season.

Wildcats are well established in fourth place and have GHK as visitors to Auchenhowie. A repeat of the 2-0 win in the first game, Alex Stuart and Lucy MacArthur were on target, would cement their top four position.

Dundee Wanderers are competing in Women’s EuroHockey Indoor Club Cup at DISC so will not be in National League action this weekend.

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