Champions Grange sit on top of the men’s table with 15 points from their five games having scored 17 goals and conceded six and they travel to Tayside to visit sixth-placed Grove Menzieshill who have five points.
Stevie Grubb, Grange’s coach, said the team have trained well this week and take positives from last weekend’s 5-0 win over Kelburne at Fettes. He added: “We are working on how we carry them forward into this weeks game.
“The squad is really starting to gel in terms of how we want to play which means competition for places is really heating up. This is great to see as it drives us as individuals and squad members to keep pushing ourselves week on week to be the best we can be.”
The University of Edinburgh are in second spot with 12 points and are on a roll having won their four games. Coach Hamish Imrie’s men are the top scorers in the 12-strong division with 23 plundered so far and they are at home to Capital rivals Erskine Stewart’s Meiville (ESM) who are seventh with five points.
Declan Bradley is still sidelined with a broken foot but otherwise the students will make five changes from their midweek fixture in the British Universities and Colleges Sport schedule.
ESM have only scored seven goals and lost ten in their five starts while Inverleith entertain Clydesdale. The Glasgow side are fifth with six points while Inverleith are a point behind and three places below.
However, the Edinburgh side’s coach Paul Taylor said this is a game they are really looking forward to as both sides were close last season and produced two, high quality games. He added: “This is one we are relishing and hoping to come out on top.”
Watsonians, who have only won one and drawn another of their five games for four points and ninth position, entertain fourth-placed Uddingston who have six points.
In the women’s Premiership, pace-setting Watsonians women travel to Glasgow University on Saturday to defend their four-game winning run and the students are eighth in the table with a record of one win and two defeats.
Watsonians have scored 27 goals and lost five while the students have scored one goal and let in six and the Edinburgh side’s coach, Keith Smith, said that he is still minus several players through injury and other commitments.
Mairi Drummond is back and Katie Stott may make a return after they were unavailable last week.
Western Wildcats also have an unblemished record having scored 16 goals and let in one in their four games and they visit pointless bottom club Gordonians who prop up the 12-strong league and have scored five goals and conceded 30.
Grange are fourth with seven points and they visit seventh placed University of St Andrews who have three points from one win and two defeats.
The University of Edinburgh are also on seven points and in fifth position and they host GHK who are ninth with one point.
Third-bottom Inverleith also have one point and they visit Clydesdale Western who are sixth with three points and are desperate to move up the table.
Uddingston switched their home clash with Hillhead to Thursday night and won 1-0, D’Arcey Campbell netting from a penalty corner after 58 minutes. Hillhead are second bottom while Uddingston move into third spot.
Scottish Premiership: men: Saturday: The University of Edinburgh v Erskine Stewart’s Melville (13.25); Inverleith v Clydesdale; Watsonians v Uddingston; Western Wildcats v Dundee Wanderers; Grove Menzieshill v Grange (12.20, Dawson Park); Kelburne v Hillhead (12.20).
Scottish Premiership: women: Clydesdale v Inverleith; Glasgow University v Watsonians; Gordonians v Western Wildcats; University of St Andrews v Grange; The University of Edinburgh v GHK (15.30).
PICTURE: Edinburgh University in recent action against Inverleith at Peffermill. Picture Nigel Duncan
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