Exciting weekend of Indoor National Leagues ahead with all to play for at the top.

The Tayside monopoly of the indoor game has raised its head again with Grove Menzieshill (men) and Dundee Wanderers (women) in pole position after one round of matches…but will this weekend`s fixtures change or confirm this trend?

Menzieshill last won the men`s indoor title back at the start of 2017, but the Taysiders seem to have the bit between their teeth at the start of this season`s campaign. It is, of course, early doors but the Dundonians share top spot with Inverleith after the first round.

Menzieshill will certainly give substance to their early showing by taking nine points from Saturday`s three outings against Grange, co-leaders Inverleith, and finally Uddingston.

It is the Inverleith clash that will attract the most interest on Saturday. Apart from Western Wildcats` triumph last season, the two sides captured five titles each over the previous decade – so history would suggest little between the teams.

Menzieshill have lethal finishers who have already shown off their skills – the likes of Jamie Golden, Albert Rowling, Keir Robb and Olly James. It looks as if Menzieshill are ahead on that front with 13 goals to Inverleith`s eight – but that might be too simplistic.

Last weekend Inverleith triumphed in tricky outings against Grange and Dundee Wanderers.

Coach Stuart Neave reflected: “Yes, I am always happy to win. Having said that we had a couple of difficult matches and some good spells of play, so pleased to obtain full points.”

Without specifically mentioning the Menzieshill clash, Neave said: “Also last Saturday`s results showed that no team in the league can be taken for granted, and so we will be preparing, as we always do, for the challenge of a three game day this Saturday.”

The day starts with Dunfermline Carnegie, the side that shocked the Wildcats, then the big one against Menzieshill, and finishing off against Clydesdale.

So what of the Wildcats… a bit off colour last Saturday! After giving Uddingston a seven goal win, the champions succumbed to Menzieshill and then surprisingly to Dunfermline Carnegie.

Certainly the format allows clubs to recover their position after a couple of reversals, but Vishal Marwaha`s pack will need to take full points from their encounters with Clydesdale and Dundee Wanderers to get back into contention.

So what future lies for the other sides in the division? After only two or three games there are four sides on three points – Wildcats, Uddingston, Dunfermline and Dundee Wanderers – while Grange and Clydesdale have a single point after their 3-3 draw.

Perhaps Saturday`s results will clarify the situation a little.

However, even after only a few games some players are emerging as potential match winners – the likes of Andrew Doyle (Dunfermline), Bobby Ralph (Dundee Wanderers), Josh Cairns (Uddingston) – all made their presence felt in front of goal.

The women`s first division table has a blockage at the top – Dundee Wanderers,. Clydesdale Western, Watsonians and Inverleith all share six points.

After Sunday`s confrontations some of the log jam will be teased out as some of the four play each other.

Champions eight times in the last ten years, who can look past Wanderers, especially as they rattled in 18 goals in their two outings so far.

And who is going to halt the lethal finishing of Amy Snell, Emily Dark and the veteran Vikki Bunce?

It is unlikely Hillhead or Edinburgh University will do that, but Clydesdale have the talent to make a stab at it. Jen Eadie, Bronwyn Shields and Millie Steiger could all cause the Wanderers` defence some anxious moments. Further, Clydesdale will have Scotland`s under-21 player-of -the-year Jess Buchanan between the posts.

Could be a tough day for the Titwood-based outfit, as well as Wanderers they take on high-flying Inverleith in the third outing for both clubs.

So far, Inverleith have been the shock troops of the competition, last weekend the Edinburgh side swept aside both Grove and Hillhead, with Sarah Jamieson in particularly good form rattling in five goals.

Although Watsonians found Wanderers hard going, Keith Smith`s side went on to beat Edinburgh University and Grange.

Smith said: “We were pretty rusty today, but guess that`s to be expected after just a couple of training sessions, we started each game slowly but improved second half each time.

In fact, rustiness may have been a feature of the performance of most sides on view.

At the other end of the table Grange, Hillhead, and perhaps surprisingly Grove, are pointless. That is bound to change as Grange and Hillhead clash in the middle of the day.

Ella Watt and Sophie Pettegree scored all Edinburgh University`s goals so far as the students sit on three points. On Sunday they have a three game session against Grove, Inverleith and finally Dundee Wanderers – there should be some points on offer there.

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