Field hockey – Coach Knipe hopes Grange re-focus for Scottish Cup

David Knipe, hoping his men put their league disappointment behind them ahead of Saturday’s Scottish Cup Final. Picture Nigel Duncan Media

Coach David Knipe admitted that mistakes cost his success-hungry Grange squad the Division One title last Saturday.

Then, Grange’s dream of lifting the Division One title for the first time since 2002 were extinguished.

A 3-2 defeat by Western Wildcats at Fettes proved fatal and two hours later Bromac Kelburne made sure of the silverware with a 2-0 victory over Edinburgh University at Pefferemill.

Grange must re-focus to meet Kelburne in Saturday’s Scottish Cup Final at Glasgow’s National Hockey Centre, the West of Scotland side’s home pitch (4pm).

The Edinburgh club were on for the Grand Slam at 2pm last Saturday. That was all over by 3.30pm.

Now Kelburne are now going for a Grand Slam and defend the Scottish Cup they won by beating Edinburgh University last season.

The newly-crowned champions won 3-0 in a recent league encounter at Glasgow Green and took the title with 48 points from their 18 fixtures.

They also scored 68 goals and let in 18 giving a goal difference of 50 while Grange scored 76 and lost 31 for a goal difference of plus 45 and a points total of 46.

Knipe should have a full-strength squad to pick from and hopes that the hurt will have healed in the seven days since their league loss.

He said: “Saturday was hard to take but we move on. We still have the cup and play-offs to come.”