Win or bust for Western
25 January 2012
SUBWAY INDOOR NATIONAL LEAGUE AT ROBERT GORDON`S IN ABERDEEN
It is win or bust for Milne Craig Western, they must beat Grove Menzieshill in the game of the day in the women`s Subway indoor national league, held for the first time at Robert Gordon`s in Aberdeen.
Western are six points adrift of leaders VWS Dundee Wanderers and three behind second placed Grove, so anything other than a victory would prove fatal and leave the title chase exclusively to the Tayside duo.
"We will still approach the games left with the view that we can win the league," said Neil Menzies, Western`s coach. "Obviously we need to win all our games and still hope for other things to do our way, so therefore nothing less than a win against Grove will suffice."
Grove took the first contest between the sides 3-1, Ali Bell and Linda Clement gave the Dundonians a 2-0 lead at the interval, and although Morag McLellan pulled one back, Bell again from a penalty corner sealed the points.
Menzies said: "In the first game we gave away goals by not closing down properly in certain areas, clearly we can work on not doing that again and at least match the mental approach that Grove brought to the first game."
Western will have a stronger squad for this encounter, back are international defender Catriona Ralph and Eli Cockburn who is capable of finding the net from time to time.
But Grove also have to win or they are likely to fall six points behind their city rivals, and that could simply donate the title to Wanderers for the third time in a row.
In contrast, the champions have an easier day, they open against second bottom Clydesdale and then take on an improving Reid Kerr College Kelburne. The Paisley side have virtually made fourth spot their own with a run of victories against sides in the lower part of the table, but earlier in the season they lost 6-2 to Wanderers. The Buddies held on for 2-2 at the interval, but goals from Amy Rowan and Julie Bryce finally sealed their fate in the second half.
The mid-table clash between Kelburne and CALA Edinburgh could be a close affair, the Paisley side will need to look out for the scoring expertise of internationalist Amy Brodie, although they did win the first encounter 3-1 with two strikes by Amy Hislop and the other from Amanda Maxwell.
