Crunch time as Grange face Edinburgh University
Premiership: men: Erskine Stewart’s Melville v Hillhead; Grange v Edinburgh University; Inverleith v Dunfermline Carnegie; Watsonians v Kelburne; Uddingston v FMGM Monarchs; Western v Clydesdale.
Women: Dundee Wanderers v GHK; Glasgow University v Grange; Hillhead v Gordonians; Inverleith v Watsonians; Western v Uddingston; Clydesdale v Edinburgh University.
Grange disposed of Kelburne 7-1 in Glasgow last weekend, but the stakes increase on Saturday and now it’s crunch time against Edinburgh University (Fettes 1pm).
Stevie Grubb’s men are in pole position in the 12-strong Premiership with maximum points from seven starts and Edinburgh University are on their coat-tails in second spot with 19 points from their seven games.
Grubb, Grange’s coach, said last Saturday’s win over Kelburne was a good result and a comfortable win with the Edinburgh side dominating from start to finish, but he warned: “This weekend’s game looks to be interesting with Edinburgh University taking their chances in recent games.” Last Saturday they brushed Uddingston aside 8-2 at Peffermill.
Grubb added: “It will be up to us to reduce the opportunities they have and make sure we keep scoring at the other end.”
Western, the defending champions, are third with 18 points after their 9-0 win at lowly Dunfermline Carnegie and they go in against Clydesdale, who are fourth, four points behind.
At the other end of the table, second-bottom Erskine Stewart’s Melville hope to build on their first win since promotion to the top tier of Scottish men’s hockey, thanks to a 3-1 success at fellow-strugglers FMGM Monarchs in Dundee, last Saturday. They host Hillhead who are seventh.
In the ladies title race, Watsonians, the title holders, maintained their unblemished seven-game record with a comfortable 6-1 win over Glasgow University last weekend and they go in against city rivals Inverleith who are second bottom of the table.
Edinburgh University, who are six points adrift but have played a game less, thrashed bottom club Dundee Wanderers 14-0 at Peffermill, and they have a tricky tussle at Clydesdale who are third but also have 15 points from six games.