RESULTS: Premiership: men: Erskine Stewart’s Melville 0, Clydesdale 6; FMGM Monarchs 4, Edinburgh University 11; Grange 5, Western 1; Uddingston 9, Dunfermline Carnegie 5; Inverleith 0, Watsonians 2; Hillhead 3, Kelburne 1.
Fraser Heigh netted with a spectacular trademark reverse stick shot which shot past former international goalkeeper Gavin Sommerville late in the game to put the icing on the cake for Grange in a thoroughly-deserved 5-1 win over arch rivals Western Wildcats.
Other accolades in this all-round team performance also go to Rory McCann who was a late replacement for Scottish international Gordon Amore who called off sick overnight and he claimed two goals.
David Nairn scored on his debut for Grange and coach Stevie Grubb, whose men had a challenging week of practise as their home pitch at Fettes was unavailable and the game was switched to Meggetland, said he was delighted with the performance.
He added: “We set out with a clear game plan of how we wanted to defend and attack and, to a man, the team executed.
“When the opportunities came we were much more clinical than in our games against Western last year.”
Andrew McConnell netted Western’s consolation from a penalty stroke but, sportingly, Western captain Rob Harwood said: “Fair play to Grange, they took their chances when they came.”
The Scottish international said they missed crocked Hamish Galt, a key figure in midfield, and he added: “The game sort of summed up our season so gar, unable to convert our chances and Grange made us pay for that.
“In the second and third quarter especially we had them on the ropes and just needed an equaliser, but it didn’t come.”
And Harwood added: “There is plenty of time left in the season and we will continue to take it game by game to ensure we are in it come the return fixture.”
Elsewhere, Watsonians won 2-0 at city rivals Inverleith, Andrew Fraser-Harris netting with a reverse stick shot after a pass from Danny Cain in the third quarter and Sam Knight, with one minute left, scored No 2 on a counter attack, slotting after a one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Edinburgh University were level at 2-2 at halt-time against newly-promoted FMGM Monarchs in Dundee but upped the tempo in the second-half to claim nine goals with two in reply.
Hamish Imrie, the students’ player/coach, said: “We stepped-up in the second-half and took our chances.”
PICTURE: Fraser Heigh going for goal earlier this season against Uddingston. Picture by Nigel Duncan
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