Emily Dark netted a double as Watsonians won their third straight women’s Premiership title at wind-swept Tipperlin with a comfortable victory over Western Wildcats.
The Edinburgh combine secured an early lead but the Auchenhowie squad hit back only for Watsonians to secure their second within two minutes and regain control of the game.
Keith Smith, their coach, said they did what they had to do to earn a 3-1 victory and he declared: “There is more on the horizon.”
The playcaller eyes victory in the Scottish Cup and also the play-offs and the league triumph was, he said, reward for a lot of hard work by the dedicated squad over a long winter.
Watsonians have also had the distraction in the second-half of the season of competing in European indoor and outdoor competitions but Smith said: “We do dominated the game (against Western).
“Yes, we could have been more clinical, but we always felt confident we would win and winning three titles in a row is a great achievement.”
He added: “Our squad handles pressure pretty well and scoring within two minutes of Western was a really good response.
“Now we have a cup semi-final and the play-offs ahead of us so the work does not stop here, but the attitude of the squad is first class and they have been rewarded with another title.”
For the record, Dark opened the scoring but Katherine Holdgate saw her penalty strike saved before Emma McDairmid levelled for the visitors.
Mairi Drummond fired home low into the bottom left-hand corner while lying on the ground then, later on, Dark completed the scoring with a thunderous penalty corner strike high into the net giving the Western goalkeeper no chance.
Meanwhile, it was a double celebration for Watsonians as their men strolled into the final of the Scottish Cup by thrashing Kelburne 6-1 at Glasgow’s National Hockey Centre.
And a 3-2 victory by Grange over defending Scottish Cup holders Western Wildcats at the same venue sets up an all Edinburgh final.
PICTURE: the victorious Watsonians women’s squad celebrate their title win at George Watson’s College. Picture by Nigel Duncan
WATCHING BRIEF: Keith Smith (left), Watsonians women’s coach, and his assistant David Knipe in the dugout at Tipperlin. All pictures by Nigel Duncan
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