Wildcats beef up for business end of season

Fourth-placed Watsonians entertain title contenders Western Wildcats at Tipperlin in one of the feature games on Saturday’s card in the Premiership and the Auchenhowie men are back to full-strength with the return of Andrew Lochrin, Hamish Galt and Luc Hermsen who were all missing for the entire first-half of the season.

Captain Rob Harwood warned the Edinburgh club: “They three are key players who will make a huge difference to our run-in.”

And the Scotland international added: “We are feeling confident after a very successful indoor campaign, retaining the title for the third year running and finishing a very respectable fifth in the European indoor B Division.”

Harwood admitted that it was good to be back outdoors last weekend and second-placed Wildcats recorded what he said were “two solid wins” and he said: “Saturday is a must-win game for us, being four points back from the top of the league.” 

Pace-setting Grange, who lead the table with 31 points from 11 games, having won ten and drawn one, re-visit fifth-placed Hillhead, a club which drew 1-1 with them just two weeks ago. 

Grange coach Stevie Grubb the club’s performance in demolishing Inverleith 8-0 in the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup last weekend was much the same as it was in Glasgow v Hillhead fixture, expect that the Captial combine turned pressure into goals.

Then, Grange had the ball in the net three times and failed to convert a penalty flick as well as having a number of short corners which were not capitalised on.

The Stockbridge club have concentrated on finishing since the hiccup against Hillhead and Grubb said: “A lot of good work on goal scoring paid off against Inverleith. We look forward to the return fixture and hopefully can turn our pressure into goals.”

Women’s league leaders Watsonians host struggling Inverleith looking for win No 10 having won all nine of their games so far for 27 points, firing 61 goals and letting in five. Inverleith have won once and scored 14 goals and let in 37.

Second-placed The University of Edinburgh travel to Hillhead, who are second bottom, looking to keep the pressure on Watsonians. They have 25 points and have scored 60 goals and lost eight. Hillhead have one once, scored nine goals and conceded 42.

Saturday: Premiership: men: top six: Hillhead v Grange (15.45); The University of Edinburgh v Uddingston (13.25, Peffermill); Watsonians v Western Wildcats (12.30, Tipperlin, George Watson’s College). Bottom six: Inverleith v Dundee Wanderers; FSEG Clydesdale v Kelburne; Erskine Stewart’s Melville v Grove Menzieshill.

Saturday: Premiership: women: Watsonians v Inverleith (13.00, Tipperlin, George Watson’s College); Hillhead v The University of Edinburgh (15.30, Upper Windyedge). Sunday: Premiership: Inverleith v Uddingston (13.00, The Mary Erskine School); Western Wildcats v Watsonians (14.30, Auchenhowie).

PICTURE: Action from Watsonians v Grove Menzieshill at The University of Edinburgh Playing Fields last Saturday. Image from Nigel Duncan