Men’s Premiership: top section: Clydesdale 0, Grange 3; Inverleith 3, Western Wildcats 7; Edinburgh University 4, Watsonians 0; bottom section: Kelburne 2, Erskine Stewart’s Melville 2; FMGM Monarchs 2, Uddingston 4.
A penalty stroke awarded 45 seconds from the end of the first half opened the door for Edinburgh University to cruise to a 4-0 victory over Capital rivals Watsonians at chilly Peffermill in the top half of the men’s Premiership.
Captain Iain McFadden fired the ball into the rigging to the right of the Watsonians goalkeeper and three followed in a second-half dominated by the students who were mostly camped in the opposition half.
Keir Robb added a second when he made the opposition pay following a defensive error with just over nine minutes remaining of the third quarter and minutes later it was 3-0 when the same player applied the finishing touch to a move down the right, the student standing unmarked at the far post to poke the ball home.
Goal No 4 arrived with around 11 minutes remaining of the game, Tom Cahalin netting after being set up by his brother John in another darting move.
The students were so dominant that withdrew their goalkeeper during the second half and skipper McFadden admitted that the conversion of the stroke was key to the outcome.
He admitted that the squad had tired legs after their victory in the Final of the British Universities and Colleges Sport Vase competition over Nottingham University in England in midweek.
He said: “It was a good win to start this part of the campaign but now we have to forget that and focus on the visit of Clydesdale to Peffermill on Sunday.” Push-off 2pm.
Other fixtures on Sunday see Watsonians facing Western in the Capital and Grange in against Inverleith (11am, at Fettes). Grange found Clydesdale difficult opposition in Glasgow but they led 1-0 when Scottish international Duncan Riddell netted on a follow-up from a short corner.
And the scoreline remained that way until the fourth quarter when Albert Rowling converted a penalty stroke and David Nairn following a scramble after a penalty corner.
And Clydesdale goalkeeper Callum Douglas played a major part in keeping the scoreline down, making several telling stops during the game.
Inverleith were 2-0 down to Western Wildcats early on thanks to two well-worked team goals, one from Rob Harwood and the other from Andrew McConnell.
The Auchenhowie combine then conceded from a penalty corner and the scoreline stayed that way until the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was more of the same, Western controlling the ball, and the visitors scored an excellent goal to move 3-1 ahead, interplay between Callum Duke, Andrew McConnell and Rob Harwood leading to Duke lobbing the ball over the goalkeeper.
Andrew McConnell then converted a penalty corner for Western to move 4-1 ahead by the half-time break and a great start to the third quarter saw another well-worked goal hit the net with Andrew McAllister delivering the ball to Rob Harwood to deflect into the far corner for 5-1.
Western were then handed green and yellow cards which led to Inverleith hitting back, converting two penalty corner opportunities but, in the final quarter, Western re-established their dominance with a great finish from Jack McKenzie followed by a back post finish from Andrew McConnell from an excellent Jonny Christie pass to secure his hat-trick.
PICTURE: Action from Peffermill as the students mount another attack. By Nigel Duncan
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