PREMIERSHIP FOR MEN
With most teams having played around seven games, that is with four games to go before the split, thoughts are now starting to turn to the top six. The top teams are already well on their way, while the bottom teams are probably too far behind, but the mid-range players will do everything they can to get these crucial points in the final matches.
Watsonians are still high in the Men’s Premiership with maximum points. They overcame a crucial hurdle last weekend with a 3-2 win over rivals Edinburgh University. They have an interesting outing at home this Saturday against a revived Uddingston team. On paper this should be a home win, especially as new coach Sam Judge seems to have installed a winning ethic into her charge, with the added bonus of Charlie Jack scoring so regularly.
Last week’s preview explored John Bessell’s contribution to Uddingston’s rise, but Saturday’s clash with the league leaders will be a real test of their resolve. The following week they have Edinburgh University. If Uddingston can take something from one or both of these tough games and hold on to fourth place, then progress will indeed have been made.
In the chasing pack behind Watsonians – now five points behind – are Western Wildcats who are now in second place. They’re away to Inverleith and with Fraser Moran, Rob Harwood and Iain McFadden in such good scoring form, it’s hard to imagine Edinburgh can turn the tide.
Likewise, the Edinburgh students should get back to winning ways at Dundee Wanderers, although the Taysiders can be a tough nut to crack on home ground.
Like Uddingston, ESM Lions are a side on the rise and Saturday’s derby against Grange in Edinburgh will test whether their progress has roots. The Lions have had a vibrant start to the season, but you have to go back to September 21 to find their last win, so it’s been a bit overshadowed. Grange could be there for the taking as they are regrouping this season after losing some key players, and their results have been a bit up and down. Grange’s Jacob Tweedie has been on a bit of a scoring spree lately as he scored four against Grove Menzieshill last weekend.
Hillhead may fancy their chances of a top-six finish after three wins in their last four games, with player/coach Fraser Ward scoring a few goals along the way. Grove Menzieshill in Dundee may not be the easiest outing, although they have only won one in six so far.
Finally, there’s the bottom of the table clash in Titwood between Clydesdale and St Andrews University – with just one point separating them. Despite poor form this season, they will be favorites to take the points and find their way up to safer regions.
THE PREMIERSHIP OF WOMEN
The Women’s Premiership has a new leader – Edinburgh University – thanks to a 1-1 draw with Wildcats and Watsonians’ absence from the game against Hillhead.
Perhaps last weekend’s draw against Auchenhowie wasn’t the result coach Henry Langton was looking for, but on Saturday his charges have another potential banana peel against St Andrews, who now occupy fourth place in the table. St Andrews have had a reasonable start to the season with four wins, a draw and two defeats, but the latter was five goals behind both Watsonians and Clydesdale. If they could take anything from the match in Edinburgh it would massively improve their chances of finishing in the top six. Edinburgh will also almost certainly need the three points to stay top of the pile.
Clydesdale Western should keep up their challenge with a home win over Hillhead as Watsonians entertain a Wildcats side that gets the big result when it is sometimes least expected. So the question is: can they do to the champions what they did to Edinburgh last weekend in Auchenhowie? Just wait and see!
Grange is on a roll with three wins in the last four games and has climbed to fifth place in the table. Coach Sean Hadfield will take his chances to extend their recent good form with a home win over a Glasgow University side who leaked 14 goals to Clydesdale last weekend and have collected just two points so far.
GHK’s mini-bandwagon continues after climbing from bottom to seventh place, and within two points of the top group. A hat-trick of wins could be followed by another home against Inverleith if the likes of Sophie Byrne, Lucy Williamson and Hanna McKie can continue to find the net. The coveted sixth spot could be theirs if the Wildcats succumb to Watsonians.
Finally, Uddingston’s recent results have been quite mixed over the last few games, but they still occupy eighth place and could be too much for bottom-side Aberdeen University.
On Sunday, most of the next round of the Scottish Cup will lead to a place in the quarter-finals. There are two juicy ties in the women’s competition. Holders of the trip from Edinburgh University to Grange from the top of the Premier League. The students won the league match a comfortable 5-0, but Grange has caused cup problems in the past.
In another Premier League match, Watsonians ran out 4-2 winners against GHK early in the season, but the Glasgow side have since returned to better form and could perhaps put up some stiff resistance.
It will be interesting to see if Orkney can make it to the quarter-finals when they take on ESM from mid-table in the National League.
On the men’s side, the tie of the round is undoubtedly the University of Edinburgh’s visit to the Wildcats den. It could be an exciting encounter – the teams fought out a 3-3 draw in the league, Jamie Golden scoring a hat-trick for the Students, while Iain McFadden and Fraser Moran responded twice for Wildcats – and all the goals came from penalty corners.
Other all-Premiership ties include Dundee Wanderers v Hillhead and Grange v ESM Lions for the second time in the weekend,
A match of any importance has the classic ingredients of a disappointment: Dunfermline Carnegie from the top of the second tier with seven games played and seven wins against Clydesdale from the bottom of the Premier League, without a single win. Again, it doesn’t always work out that way.
MIDWEEK PROMOTION
Edinburgh University opened a four-point lead at the top of the Women’s Premiership with a comfortable five-goal win over Glasgow at Peffermill on Wednesday evening, despite having played around a game more than the chasing pack. New German signing Jojo Muhl continues to impress with a hat-trick, while the other goals came from Dina Finn and Emily Morris. The result keeps Glasgow firmly in the lower reaches.
Wildcats returned to goalscoring form with a 12-1 win over Kelburne in the Scottish Cup on Tuesday evening. There were two goals each for Lucy Macmillan, Alex Stuart, Chloe Hardie, Emma McDiarmid and Kate Holmes, while Kate Kellock and Rachel Bain were also on target.
In the men’s cup, Glasgow University won 3-2 at FMGM Monarchs.
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