Grange have two key men missing for the men’s Premiership title showdown with long-time pace-setters Western at Auchenhowie on Saturday (1.30pm).
Scotland’s leading goalscorer this season, Fraser Heigh (pictured by Nigel Duncan during a recent league game), and Rory McCann are both sidelined through injuries suffered in Spain during the EuroHockey League Ranking Cup in which the Edinburgh side finished seventh but created club history by winning for the first time in the competition.
Heigh broke a thumb in the club’s second game in Europe’s leading club tournament, a narrow 2-1 defeat to London cracks Hampstead and Westminster, and McCann broke a bone in his hand in training after they arrived in Spain. He played on despite the pain.
Western need a draw to win the league title for the first time in 18 years but Grange captain David Forrester and his men are determined to battle on.
The Scottish international goalkeeper said: “We are looking forward to the game and come into it in good form on the back of the EuroHockey League campaign. Western are a strong team so it will certainly be a tough game.
“All we can do at this stage in the season is to go out there and perform to the best of our abilities. Hopefully, that will be enough to take the league challenge down to the final game of the season.”
And Martin Shepherdson, Grange’s team manager, added: “We are looking forward to game and hope to bring same intensity we showed in EuroHockey League to the occasion. If we can this will make us very competitive.”
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