Grange men started the day off with an early start and a 3-0 win over the newly promoted St Andrews University at Fettes. Livio Belotti opened the score for the home team within five minutes and an avalanche could have been expected, but instead the students held on to their task and grange were frustrated by not adding to their count – although manager Martin Shepherdson admitted that much of it was due to a poor finish. Grange raised their total in the last five minutes by Jacob Tweedie and the 16-year-old Angus Fletcher.
Watsonians were also on songs with a 4-0 win over the Inverleith van Buren, here Nathan Liggett dropped a few while Charlie Jack and Duncan Riddell were also on target.
The game of the day, and a positive advertisement for the game in Scotland, was undoubtedly the 3-3 draw between the University of Edinburgh and Western Wildcats in Peffermill. Perhaps the highlight was a hat trick of penalty corners from Jamie Golden of Edinburgh-Ironic enough against the teammates of his last year but it was not enough to secure the three points.
However, Golden gave the students an early two goals lead of the set piece, the first an unusual solo tissue instead of a shot, while the second was a low, hard shot. But just before the break, the former student Iain Mcfadden pulled one back for the champions when he buried a rebound of his own shot in a penalty corner. Wildcats were again in flat terms with a penalty corner finish by Fraser Moran and then took a 3-2 lead with a different set piece of the same player. But parity was restored towards the end with another golden finish … and that was probably an fair result.
ESM Lions are up with the top dogs after another three points in a 3-0 home victory on Grove Menzieshill, and the perpetrator came from a hat trick of Cameron Ede’s penalty corner finish. However, it was refreshing to note that both parties had many young people in their ranks.
Further down the table it was a first three points for Dundee Wanderers with a 2-0 home victory on Clydesdale, Calan Gruar and Finlay Wright were the scorers.
Uddingston also broke their duck with a narrow 3-2 home victory on Hillhead-Alle Doelen came from penalty corners from Anup Valmiki with a pair and Max Strachan. Matt Carder and another answered for Hillhead.
The game-of-the-day of the women between GHK and Watsonians ended in a 4-2 victory for the last but it was a close encounter. Within two minutes, Watsonians’ Emily Dark brought the champions forward from a penalty corner. The visitors had other chances to expand their lead, and Katherine Holdgate even missed from the place, but it was GHK’s Joanne Boyle who thought it was just to deliver the score.
Then Ellie Rutherford, on her return from the US and on her debut, brought the champions in a 2-1 lead, only for Sophie Byrne to again level for the Glasgow side. But just before the interval, Jenna Park gave Watsonians a limited advantage. The only goal in the second half came from the place by Holdgate and Watsonians returned to Edinburgh with the three points.
Clydesdale continued their early form with a 3-0 at Grange-Emma McGregor, Ava Graham and player/coach Fiona Semple took care of the goals.
Wildcats keep rattling in the goals, this time a 5-1 victory at Aberdeen University. The cats were two on the interval, Rachel Osborne scored from the top of the circle in a penalty corner and then younger Chloe Hardie added a second of Open Play. The scoring of Wildcats took place in the second half, Corrie Hay delivered a solo effort, Lexi Macmillan converted into a penalty corner and Osborne completed the count in the last quarter. Just before the end, Rebecca Gordon van Aberdeen noted a comfort in a well -processed penalty corner.
The University of Edinburgh were five goal winners at a competition concession.
St Andrews University was given the campaign for a flying start with a victory of five goals on the Glasgow students, here there were two goals for Iona Syme, Charlotte Bosma and Hannah Coull.
The last collision of the day between Inverleith and Hillhead ended in a scoreless draw – and Jenny Campbell from Hillhead reflected “Great to get a point on the board.”
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