Team boss Martin Shepherdson was pleased with the improved performance as Grange beat Grove Menzieshill 5-1 in Edinburgh in the men’s hockey Premiership.
He also felt his men played some good hockey for spells in the game. The home side opened the scoring after four minutes from a penalty corner conversion from Zach Talbot and Scottish international David Nairn made it 2-0 after 13 minutes.
John Donald pulled one back for Grove 16 minutes later from another penalty corner and it was Andrew Duke who added a third for Grange from the second phase of a penalty corner after 32 minutes.
Dylan Bean made it 4-1 from open play after 39 minutes and Aussie newcomer Ola Marshall added No 5 from open play with 46 minutes on the clock.
Shepherdson added: “We still have a lot of players to return to the squad and we are happy to remain unbeaten so far this season.”
Tayside-based Grove are now ninth while Grange are in third position with nine points and with a goal difference of plus eight. Second-placed Watsonians also have nine points but a superior goal difference of plus 13 after they beat Clydesdale 4-0 at Peffermill.
Western Wildcats top the table with an unblemished record of four wins for 12 points and a goal difference of plus 19 after they thrashed Edinburgh side Inverleith 9-0 at Auchenhowie. Inverleith are one of three teams who remain pointless and they slip to the bottom of the league.
The University of Edinburgh shutout struggling Dundee Wanderers 5-0 at Peffermill to be fourth with seven points. Wanderers are second bottom while Erskine Stewart’s Melville (ESM) edged newly-promoted Dunfermline Carnegie 3-2 to record their first win of the campaign after two defeats and they are eighth with three points. Carnegie are tenth.
Elsewhere, Uddingston are fifth in the 12-strong table after they beat Hillhead 5-2 in Lanarkshire. Hilhead are now sixth.
Statistics show that Jamie Golden of Western is the top marksman with six so far and he is closely followed by team-mate Fraser Moran with four.
Five players are on three, David Nairn and Dylan Bean both (Grange), Rob Harwood and Adam McKenzie (both Western) and Matthew Leiper of Watsonians.
FLASHBACK: Grange v Dunfermline Carnegie earlier this season. Picture Nigel Duncan
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