Women`s Premiership double header with some crucial encounters

It’s a cracker of a weekend for the women`s Premiership with some mouth-watering encounters in prospect.

Saturday sees Watsonians v Edinburgh University and Western Wildcats v Clydesdale Western. And on Sunday, even better, as the top two Clydesdale and Watsonians are head-to-head at Titwood. So there is potential for some readjustment at the top of the table.

It is certainly a pivotal weekend for Clydesdale who look to be in the throes of a renaissance. At the moment they lie second, two points behind Watsonians, but have played a game less. And they are the only side in the division with a perfect record after seven games.

So is the Titwood-based side on the way back to the halcyon days of yore when they won almost everything?

On the weekend coming up Clydesdale`s Ali Howie said, “It’s a big but exciting double header weekend for us this week.

“We have had a great start to the season being unbeaten so far. However we are focussing on one game at a time and this weekend will be no different. We have to focus on what we can do in both attack and defence whilst also being aware of the different threats that Watsonians and Wildcats have.

“If we stick to our game plan and play to our strengths then we are confident of coming away with results this weekend.”

So what of the opposition? Wildcats are fifth – they have had a couple of draws, with defeats at the hands of Glasgow University and GHK, but have won the other four games. The team has perhaps been not as consistent as the management would like so far but are a force to be reckoned with at Auchenhowie.

Watsonians need no introduction – they have been the country`s most successful team in the last couple of years. Again this season Keith Smith`s charges have won their games in style, although a slight lapse a couple of weeks ago against GHK has perhaps given the chasing pack some grounds for optimism.

On Saturday the champions come up against their local rivals, Edinburgh University. The students have dropped eight points in the campaign but have always given Watsonians a close encounter – and will look to do so again on Saturday.

So there will be points won and dropped at the apex of the league.

This is good news for third placed GHK who are not directly involved in the top of the table merry-go-round. The Glasgow side is away to Inverleith and entertaining Glasgow University the following day. Six points in the bag will certainly be their target, but this is a challenge in a double header weekend and the Glasgow students in particular have been in good form recently.

Equally there are several head-to-heads involving the sides in the lower reaches, which are becoming a little detached from the top six.

St Andrew University, unbeaten in their last three games, are emerging out of the lower six pile and are up against Fjordhus Reivers, and Uddingston, with further points on the agenda for coach Jamie Carnegie. The students could still make the top six.

A curiosity is Grange, they are eighth in the table and have yet to win a game – they are the draw specialists. That could change after this weekend`s encounters with Hillhead and Inverleith.

Any points this weekend would be very welcome for the bottom sides Grange, Uddingston, Inverleith, Hillhead and Reivers.

The highlight of the men’s card must be the top of the table clash at Auchenhowie between Western Wildcats and Grange. It’s not a Premiership decider at this stage but it will have its importance – a Grange win would put the title race back into the melting pot, a draw would leave the status quo, however a Wildcats victory would give them a sizeable cushion over the chasing pack.

On the Grange game, Wildcats` coach Vishal Marwaha had this to say, “You want to win every game but the result on Saturday will not decide anything. It`s too early in the league and there are still a number of games to go. We look forward to the challenge and believe we can get a positive result.”

At the moment Western have won every game and have a three point advantage at the top. So the Wildcats` record this season speaks for itself, and Vishal evaluated, “I think it comes down to hard work and focus. As a group the boys push themselves in every session, and the focus comes from taking one game at a time and not looking too far ahead.”

There are rarely favourites in this traditional encounter. Further, both sides have put in some stirring performances this season but equally just scraped home by a single late goal on occasions. So, there are many similarities in outcomes.

A bit of a dent was put on the Watsonians bandwagon last weekend, the perfect record was lost with the dropping of five points, so on Saturday Dan Coultas’ charges must show their resilience with a win against ESM. That might not be easy as the ESM Lions are on their own crusade – they have made fifth place their own with a string of positive results. Last weekend put a stop to their unbeaten sequence with a 4-2 defeat at Hillhead, but they recovered sufficiently to see off Clydesdale the following day. This could be an intriguing contest with an uncertain conclusion.

Edinburgh University are the other side assured of a top six spot and should be confident of another three points away to bottom side Dunfermline Carnegie.

With two games remaining before the winter break the race is now on for the two remaining places in the top six. At the moment ESM are fifth on 16 points and are virtually there. That leaves Grove Menzieshill, currently sixth, along with Uddingston and Hillhead to fight it out for the last spot.

Uddy host the `Hill on Saturday in a top six showdown. The Taysiders missed the opportunity to confirm that status when they were held to a 5-5 draw by Inverleith last Sunday, and may rue the day. Uddy at home are a formidable force as both Western and Grange found out with difficult victories. A win on Saturday would leave the top six destiny in their own hands with Dundee Wanderers on Tayside their final fixture.

Hillhead are still in with a shout as they have a home fixture against Wanderers, an encounter coach Yan Adams would hope to win.

The remaining encounter sees Clydesdale entertain Inverleith, both are on five points but the home side are still in the doldrums, while the visitors have picked up five points in the last three outings so are perhaps on the up.

 

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