There is a logjam at the top of the women’s championship: Watsonians, Clydesdale Western and Edinburgh University are on twelve points, while Wildcats and St Andrews University are only two points behind. However, there’s nothing better than a double header weekend to decrypt some logs.
And what better way than Watsonians hosting Clydesdale on Sunday to whet the appetite – not that the match will decide the fate of the title, but it could give the winner a small psychological advantage and take them to the top of the division at this early stage.
It is difficult to discern the relative strengths of these teams; last season they finished level on points, with Watsonians taking the title on goal difference. Furthermore, both teams have several Scottish players in their ranks, both score a lot of goals and don’t let many in, and there is strength in the depth of both teams. So what difference… and it will probably come down to which team performs on the day… or perhaps a draw?
But before the showdown, both have an earlier appointment on Saturday, and that may not be so easy. Watsonians travel to St Andrews to take on a student side who have made a promising start to the season, although they lost 5-1 to Clydesdale last weekend. Meanwhile, the Titwood team heads to Auchenhowie to take on the Cats who are currently in fifth place. The Cats have started the season solidly, undefeated so far, but have the same firepower as Clydesdale to cause a problem – time will tell.
Whatever the outcome on Saturday, Wildcats will hope to gain at least three points the next day when they visit Uddingston.
The three matches mentioned above involve the most parties in the logjam, so the outcomes here will clarify the situation somewhat.
The exception here is second-placed Edinburgh University, who are not involved in the dogfight at the top of the table but could be the beneficiary if they can take the six points from their meetings against Aberdeen University and then Hillhead. The students from Edinburgh are also scoring goals, with Cat Nelli, Jojo Muhl and Dina Finn the most prominent players. Depending on the results over the weekend and goal difference, Edinburgh could be top of the division on Sunday evening.
St Andrews are still in the mix but have an interesting outing on Sunday against a GHK side who are not yet in top form. With the Glasgow side finally hitting the ground running with a two-goal win over Glasgow University, Sophie Byrne gets both, which could act as a springboard to further wins and progress up the table.
Although we are still a long way from the split, the table is already starting to take that shape, with a top five increasing their lead over the rest. However, Grange are on six points and could go either way this weekend – that will depend on the outcome of their games against GHK and Aberdeen University. Last weekend was a good result for Edinburgh as they went to Uddingston and came away with a 4-1 win.
The remaining six teams are on four points or less, and it is unlikely that any of them will cause the title contenders any problems this weekend. So it may well be left to the head-to-head matches to see any progress in the rankings. On Saturday, Glasgow University play Hillhead and Inverleith against Uddingston, while Inverleith entertain Glasgow on Sunday – crucial points are claimed here.
Is there anything else that can hold back the Watsonians bandwagon in the men’s premier league? It was five straight wins and barely a hint of reversal. On Saturday the leaders travel to St. Andrews to confront the students who are struggling with life in the top class.
What about the chase package? Second-placed Edinburgh University have a challenge against fifth-placed ESM Lions. But if the Lions want to have any chance of getting the three points, they’ll have to sink their claws into the students’ not-so-secret weapon… Jamie Golden. So far he has scored 18 times in the team’s total of 32, both from open play and penalty corners – that’s good shooting by any standards. The highlight was six against Inverleith, but also notable was his hat-trick against Western Wildcats in a thrilling 3-3 draw.
Success in hockey is always a team effort, but with such a deadly striker as Jamie Golden in the ranks, it can be a match-winner.
Grange also have a tough assignment at Bothwell Castle against a rejuvenated Uddingston, who now look well established in the top six. Uddy’s unbeaten run has been extended to four games, with a draw against Clydesdale the only points drop, so Grange may have to dig deep to collect the three points here.
On the plus side, however, after losing several key players in the closing season, Grange have regrouped and recorded four wins from five games and are very much in contention at the top.
After difficult results in Barcelona, Western Wildcats return home against Dundee Wanderers last weekend. But the Taysiders are unlikely to match Braxgata or Polo and the aim is for Vishal Marwaha’s pack to come away with the three points from Dundee and maintain their title challenge. Wanderers would be foolish to count on a European stud joining the Wildcats’ ranks.
After last weekend’s win over St Andrews, Inverleith have moved up to seventh place, and that could be consolidated with another three points at home to Grove Menzieshill, who have not played for a few weeks. The Taysiders will be disappointed with just one win in four so far and are on the brink of the relegation zone.
There must be some concern growing in the Clydesdale ranks, with just one point from five games and second bottom in the table. Perhaps Saturday is the time to turn things around as Hillhead are the callers. But on the other hand, Hillhead also needs points with which they can get out of the danger zone. This could be close.
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