The race is on for the indoor Championship, Europe, and to avoid relegation

The race is on as the Indoor National League 1 programme advances towards the business end of the men`s and women`s competitions.

At the top end four clubs are vying for a place in the ultimate action at the Indoor Gala Day on the 25th where the prize is the championship and a place in Europe next indoor season. In contrast, at the other end the bottom sides will strive to avoid relegation.

Clydesdale Western lead the women`s table by three points from Watsonians, courtesy of the 3-1 win over their rivals last Sunday. There are still three games to play on Sunday but their place in the final is almost assured.

Watsonians will hope to join them; they are in second spot with 15 points but are only two points ahead of Wildcats, but they have played a game more. Wildcats played the opening game in the top four competition last Sunday and came away with a 4-3 win over Hillhead. Hillhead put in a late surge and have done extremely well to make the top four.

The situation in the men`s top four has a similar ring about it. Unbeaten Western Wildcats are in the driving seat, three points ahead of challengers Inverleith, and they look good for a final place. Wildcats have so far swept all before them.

Although each team will be vying for nine points in their three games, the chasing duo of Grove Menzieshill and Watsonians have a bit to do to overtake the top two – the former are five points behind second placed Inverleith while Watsonians are a point worse off. And neither have as yet been able to take points off either Western Wildcats or Inverleith so far this indoor season.

Grove Menzieshill in particular could still be a wild card; the Taysiders came so close last season to a final place, they only needed a draw against Inverleith in their final game but succumbed to a late Inverleith winner.

And onto the relegation issue. Fortunately there is no automatic drop in the women`s competition due to the earlier withdrawal of Edinburgh University, so the struggle is to avoid the play-off. Three teams are in contention and each team has two games. Dundee Wanderers will be disappointed to be in this situation but they have a very young squad though have the advantage of six points. The Taysiders are three points ahead of both Grange and Uddingston, certainly an advantage with just two games to play. But anything can happen when the pressure is on.

Hillhead, with only a single point, are somewhat detached from Grange, Uddingston and Dundee Wanderers, and are in danger of being automatically relegated from the men`s first division.

Who would then occupy the play-off spot is not easy to determine given that only a single point separates the other three sides.  Uddingston have a point advantage after their belated 2-2 draw with Grange late last Saturday. In the same scenario Wanderers caught up on the others with a 5-3 win over Hillhead and gave themselves a lifeline.

With two games left for each team it is too close to call – so three points in any game will be at a premium and probably the route to safety.

 

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