No change at the top of Premierships and now only three games left

There seems no stopping Watsonians` women and Western Wildcats men – both had sturdy victories in today`s Premiership encounters. Watsonians scored nine against Hillhead while Western were six to the good against Watsonians – so it is the status quo until next weekend.

Western`s relentless drive towards the men`s Premiership title continued unabated with a comfortable 6-0 win over Watsonians at Auchenhowie.

The catalyst was a hat-trick of penalty corner conversions by Hamish Galt in the first half and early in the third quarter. However, the goals continued to flow thereafter from the set piece as Fraser Moran made it four.

Moran then added a fifth from open play, a scoop from defence found Jonny Christie, he took out both the keeper and a defender and his resulting pass was slapped into the net by Moran. In the closing engagements Rob Harwood was knocked over in the circle by a Watsonians defender, he dusted himself down and converted from the spot for the sixth.

Western`s coach Vishal Marwaha did remark: “We had been working on our penalty corners over the last week, they hadn`t been going too well, but they certainly worked well today.”

Photo by Dave Reid

Grange kept hanging in there at the top of the Premiership with a 4-2 win over Clydesdale at Fettes. The Edinburgh side went ahead in only four minutes with a back post strike by Fraser Heigh following a cross by Peter Caughey. A home win looked even more likely when Murray Banks latched on to a pass from Duncan Riddell and lifted the ball over the keeper to double the tally.

However, two minutes later Andy McCallan pulled one back for Clydesdale and just on the interval Ali Douglas levelled at 2-2 – so game on!

The turning point in the contest came just before the end of the third quarter with two goals in as many minutes from Grange`s Rory McCann, carbon copies with back post strikes to finish off crosses from the left, that was the end of the scoring and the three points went to the Premiership`s second placed side.

Edinburgh University consolidated their third place with a 2-1 win at Dunfermline Carnegie, John Stephen and Tom Cahalin were on target while Liam Witt replied for the Fifers.

Inverleith retained top spot in the lower six division with a 3-0 win over Kelburne, Kyle Taylor, Xavax Cordero and Rob Brown were the scorers. The Paisley side are still in tenth spot and close to the relegation zone but still four points ahead of Dundee Wanderers.

And that is because Wanderers went down 4-0 to Uddingston. The Lanarkshire side were a goal up at the interval through a penalty corner strike by Louis Gardiner. But there were further strikes in the second half through Johnny McDonald, Alex McGregor and Gardiner again.

Hillhead were also victorious at bottom side Grove Menzieshill, they won 5-2 with Matt Carder getting a double, and Fraser Ward, John Raid and Jimmy Lynch Small scoring the others.

There appears to be no stopping Watsonians in their quest for their first women’s Premiership title as they saw off the challenge of Hillhead by 9-0.

There were eight separate scorers, Sarah Jamieson was unique in getting a double and the others came from Bex Jones, Emily Dark, Ellie Wilson, Sarah McKay, Nicola Skrastin, Katie Crawford and finally Beth Dodds.

A double from Bromwyn Shields kept Clydesdale Western in second spot with a 2-0 win at Titwood. Edinburgh University also retained third spot with a 6-0 win over GHK, Margery Justice scored twice while Sophie Hinds, Ava Smith, Katie Robertson and Itske Hooftman got the others.

Uddingston consolidated top spot in the lower section of the Premiership with a 5-1 win over bottom side Erskine Stewarts Melville. There were two goals each for Catriona Nelli and McKenzie Bell while Magdelina Bowers got the other.

Dundee Wanderers pulled themselves to safety with a 3-2 win over Gordonians on Tayside. Molly Cuthbertson opened for the Aberdonians but by the interval Jess Martin had levelled.

That is how it continued into the fourth quarter when Wanderers` Amy Rowan scored from close range and then Eve Hewitt made it 3-1 with a third attempt at a penalty corner. In the final three minutes Katie McLeod pulled one back for Gordonians at a set piece, but too late to affect the final result.

Grove Menzieshill has improved its chances of avoiding relegation with a 1-1 draw at Glasgow University. Flo Mitchell scored a penalty corner goal for Grove in the opening exchanges, but 15 penalty corners chances later the score line had not changes. In the final few minutes a cross rebounded off the Grove keeper and Olivia Reid was left with a tap in at the post for the equaliser. The Glasgow students remain second from the top in the lower competition.

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