New National league 1 indoor season to get underway

The indoor season is now in the offing and both Western Wildcats (men) and Dundee Wanderers (women) have the challenge to hold on to the titles they won last year.

Western Wildcats got their claws into the men`s indoor National League title last year for the first time in the club`s history, but if the rest think it was simply a flash in the pan, perhaps they had better listen to coach Vishal Marwaha. Marwaha said with confidence:

“Yes, I do believe we can retain the title. The squad has a couple of changes but is broadly similar to last season. We do have a very young squad but having won the title last year they should go into this season with confidence.”

Western Wildcats start the defence of their crown with a three match session at Bell`s Sports Centre in Perth on Saturday, they open against Uddingston, then a big one against Grove Menzieshill, before Dunfermline Carnegie provide the stern opposition in the final game of the day.

Marwaha`s approach is simple, but deadly: “We want to win every game we play and therefore nine points is the target. However we do appreciate that teams will want to beat us as current champions, so all games will be tough.”

However, the Wildcats` coach added, “The format of the league also allows for us to try some different tactics at this point of the competition. This will be important for us in trying to prepare for the latter stages and Europe in particular.”

Last season Grove Menzieshill and Inverleith were perhaps favourites to battle out the indoor title as they had done for the previous decade, it was the Wildcats who got their paws on the silverware after seeing off the Taysiders in the final.

But it took a penalty shoot-out to decide the issue after Wildcats and Grove Menzieshill finished normal time tied at three each. Albert Rowling, Jamie Golden and Gavin Tomlinson scored for the Dundonians, the Wildcats replies all come from Andrew McConnell. And it was McConnell who got the winning strike in the shoot-out to take the title back to Auchenhowie.

So, who are the chasing pack for the Wildcats` crown? Chief among them must be the 2017 champions Grove Menzieshill who have a long tradition of indoor success, both in Scotland and Europe.

The Hill have been the senior partner in the indoor Tayside monopoly which has been the feature of the last three decades, but that was finally broken by the rise of Inverleith who won five titles between 2011 and 2018.

Also in the mix should be last season`s other semi-finalists Inverleith and Grange while it is anticipated that both Dundee Wanderers and Clydesdale along with Dunfermline and Uddingston may push the favourites on occasions – but it is difficult to predict without any up to date form to go on.

In the women`s competition, the challenge is to beat champions Dundee Wanderers – after all they have won the title eight out of the last ten years.

Wanderers open Sunday`s action with Grange as the opposition, then later in the programme Watsonians are the opposition.

Tayside coach Iain Strachan confirmed that his squad is mainly the same as last season, although their GB EDP players might be missing at various dates.

On this season`s prospects, Strachan maintained:  “I am confident we can win the league. There`s always problems and some luck is needed along the way. Injuries can play a part and the format makes it particularly challenging.

“We can win every game, then a team who has lost a couple of games along the way can snatch it away on the final day.

“We will be aiming to retain our title, we have a good group and if it all goes to plan, I think we will triumph.”

On the Wanderers` squad, Strachan said: “Our real strength is that we have been together for a long time, and we know what we are trying to do as a group when teams present new problems to us.”

So who are the teams likely to present problems? Well Watsonians might do just that on Sunday, they finished in fourth place last year.

In addition, the Edinburgh side were only a whisker away from the final, they drew 2-2 with Clydesdale Western at the penultimate stage and only went out on a penalty shoot-out.

Over the years Grove Menzieshill and Clydesdale have provided the champions with the sternest test… and the expectation is that both clubs will be on form once again.

The latter were last year`s finalists, but went down 7-2 to the Taysiders. That day, Charlotte Watson scored a hat-trick while Ruth Blaikie, Emily Dark, Ellie Wilson and Heather Elder picked up the others.

Edinburgh University have made their mark at times over the last few seasons while the other sides include Grange, Inverleith and Hillhead – who knows there might be a surprise packed lurking in there.

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