Rugby by John Preece
It was back to the day job for the International players this weekend and Edinburgh took advantage of having their players return with a comprehensive 43-10 win over Connacht in the 9th Round of the RaboDirect PRO12 League. Just sneaking ahead at the break with a 42nd minute try, Edinburgh scored themselves out of site with three tries in the final eight minutes of play. The win moves them up to eighth in the table, sandwiched between the Scarlets and the Blues with 17 points. (Photo – Ross Rennie getting pulled up inches short of scoring)
The club season returned to a full programme with all three of Edinburgh’s Senior clubs in action in the Premiership. Heriots were in Ayr where they beat the current champions 17-5. In the only other match to feature local teams, Currie squeezed past Edinburgh Academy 40-39 at Raeburn Place to take their second top-team scalp in as many rounds.
The table now stands with Heriots still in third with 46 points, Accies climb a place to fifth – courtesy of try and losing bonus points – with 30, but Currie doggedly remain at the bottom, in spite of their recent good form, with 19 points.
In the National League, Boroughmuir, Stewarts-Melville and Watsonians all won. ‘Muir beat Peebles 27-10 at Meggetland, Stew-Mel beat Selkirk 16-13 at Inverleith and, in the highest score of the day – anywhere – Watsonians saw off Hillhead/Jordanhill to the tune of 85 (eighty five)-10.
In the league table, Boroughmuir, Watsonians and Stewarts-Melville are still in the top three places with 55, 47 and 46 points respectively.
With only five league weekends to go, only Heriots look like being able to do anything about the top two teams in the Premiership, Gala and Melrose, but in the National League a couple of bad results from Boroughmuir and there is a three-way chase for the title. Then, there is always the PL 9th v NL 2nd play-off…..
Football
Mixed fortunes again for the Edinburgh clubs in the William Hill Scottish Cup this weekend. On Saturday Hibs travelled to Dingwall where they recorded their first ever win against Ross County thanks to a Danny Handling goal, then the following day, Hearts slumped to their worst home defeat in 40 years when Celtic scored seven without reply at Tynecastle.
Hibs face Partick Thistle at Easter Road whilst Hearts travel to Tayside to play on form Dundee United at Tannadice next Saturday.
Scottish Sun Lowland Football League
Dalbeattie Star 4-1 Gala Fairydean
Edinburgh City 1-5 Gretna 2008
Preston Athletic 1-2 East Kilbride
Whitehill Welfare 4-1 Threave Rovers
Central Taxis EOS Premier Division
Civil Service Strollers 0-3 Coldstream
Spartans EOS 2-3 Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale
Leith Athletic 1-1 Edinburgh University
Central Taxis EOS First Division
Hawick Royal Albert 1-3 Easthouses Lily MW
Hibernian 7-1 Eyemouth United
South Challenge Cup, Second Round North & East Zone
Vale of Leithen 6-0 Kelso United
Heriot-Watt University 3-1 Craigroyston
University of Stirling 4-1 Tynecastle
King Cup, First Round
Selkirk 5-3 Ormiston AET
Peebles Rovers 3-2 Duns
Friendly
Spartans 0-1 East Stirlingshire
Basketball
Troon Tornadoes SM 76-59 Glasgow University SM
City of Edinburgh Kings SM 61-77 Clark Eriksson Fury SM
Boroughmuir Blaze SM 62-80 Glasgow Rocks SM
Glasgow Storm 65-102 St Mirren West College Scotland SM
Stirling Knights SM 72-56 Dunfermline Reign SM
Volleyball
Division One Men
Bon Accord 1 3 City of Edinburgh 18 – 25 21 – 25 25 – 21 20 – 25
Beacon Fire 0 3 City of Glasgow Ragazzi 15 – 25 18 – 25 14 – 25
South Ayrshire 3 0 Dundee 25 – 15 25 – 19 25 – 18
Edinburgh Jets 3 2 Glasgow Mets 25 – 23 21 – 25 26 – 24 19 – 25 17 – 15
Division One Women
Edinburgh Jets II 0 3 Su Ragazzi 14 – 25 9 – 25 6 – 25
Edinburgh Jets 3 1 QTS Troon Team Ayrshire 25 – 23 21 – 25 26 – 24 25 – 16
Aberdonia 0 3 City of Edinburgh 14 – 25 10 – 25 6 – 25
North Lanarkshire 3 0 QTS Kyle TA 25 – 12 25 – 14 25 – 15
Division Two East Men
Bellshill Cardinals 0 3 Su Ragazzi II 15 – 25 20 – 25 24 – 26
Beacon Flame 1 3 Edinburgh Jets II 25 – 20 18 – 25 22 – 25 19 – 25
NUVOC 1 3 City of Edinburgh II 17 – 25 25 – 11 22 – 25 19 – 25
Division Two Women
South Ayrshire 0 3 Dundee 0 – 25 0 – 25 0 – 25
NUVOC 3 0 Glasgow International 25 – 16 25 – 22 25 – 10
Ice Hockey by John Preece
The Edinburgh Capitals came back from 3-1 down at the end of the first period to score in overtime to beat The Braehead Clan 5-4. 4-3 up with 11 seconds to go, it was looking like a win, but a goal from the Clan meant that the Capitals’ supporters had to endure a nail-biter of a sudden death overtime period. Still, it all worked out well…
On Sunday, the Caps beat Coventry Blaze 5-4 at Murrayfield.
Web – http://www.photoboxgallery.com/jlp-photography
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
