FIXTURES: Scottish Premiership: men: Friday: Grange v Inverleith (19.30, Fettes). Saturday: Clydesdale v Erskine Stewart’s Melville; Watsonians v Edinburgh University 1pm); Uddingston v Western Wildcats; Dundee Wanderers v Kelburne (12.00, Dalnacraig); Hillhead v Grove Menzieshill (12.30, Old Anniesland).
Scottish Premiership: women: Watsonians v Uddingston; Inverleith v Gordonians (13.00, The Mary Erskine School); Grange v Glasgow University (13.30, Fettes); GHK v University of St Andrews (14.15, Old Anniesland); Western Wildcats v The University of Edinburgh (14.30, Auchenhowie); Hiillhead v C;lydesdale (15.30).
Twelve points separate pace-setting Grange and Inverleith in the 12-strong Scottish Premiership table and the Fettes-based combine are firm favourites to extend their unblemished run to seven games when the pair clash at Fettes on Friday (19.30 pushback).
Grange have won all of their six games so far, claiming 20 goals and letting in seven, and team manager, Martin Shepherdson, said his men go into the clash in confident mood given recent results and knowing that the team play and structure is improving game by game.
He added: “We never underestimate any team and know that Inverleith are capable of playing really good hockey and or making the game difficult for us.”
Grange are inching closer to full availability which has provided competition in all areas of the team and Shepherdson added: “We expect the strength of our bench to be a significant factor going forward.”
Inverleith have a patchy record, but it does include three draws in their last five fixtures with a win and a defeat thrown in.
They have scored 17 goals and conceded 22, a worrying statistic for coach Paul Taylor, and Grange will not want to slip up against their Capitals rivals with The University of Edinburgh hard on their heels.
The hard-running students are second with 15 points from five starts and they are the top marksmen with 29 and only three in reply. They go in against Watsonians at Peffermill on Saturday and coach Hamish Imrie will demand another win to maintain their perfect start.
Dan Coultas was buoyed by the last-gasp win over Uddingston at Peffermill last Saturday as he men, who have been inconsistent this term with three defeats, a draw and a win on their record.
They sit in fourth spot and will need to bring their A Game to the pitch to halt the students who have been in irresistible form of late, hunting down the man with the ball and moving the ball, when they have it, at pace.
Picture: Inverleith at Peffermill recently against The University of Edinburgh. Picture Nigel Duncan
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