Peffermill hosts the next chapter in the men`s and women`s Premiership race

Edinburgh University could be central to the next stage in the quest for this season`s Premiership titles.

In the women`s competition the Edinburgh students are six points adrift of the top, albeit with a game in hand, and on Saturday entertain a Watsonians side that have just taken over pole position.

Third placed Edinburgh University men may be well behind league leaders Western Wildcats but play host to a Grange side that simply need to keep on winning to retain any aspiration of this season`s title. Further, a students’ triumph would put them within three points of Grange in the race for second spot and the other European place.

Keith Smith has done a remarkable job with his talented Watsonians squad, they lost their opening encounter with Clydesdale Western and then proceeded to win all the following 14 fixtures. And that included getting a 3-2 revenge on Clydesdale last weekend, albeit with a last minute winner from Sarah Jamieson.

Back in November Watsonians won the earlier fixture 3-0 against the Edinburgh students with first half goals from Emily Dark and Mairi Drummond, Jamieson adding a third towards the end of the game.

That day Keith Smith evaluated: “It was a good defensive performance in a tough game, we managed to keep a clean sheet. We had a good first half but University perhaps just shaded the second half.”

However, since that date Edinburgh University have embarked on their own winning sequence of five games.

While there is still a long way to go in the competition and much can happen, only a win is likely to keep Watsonians in pole position by Saturday evening. And that would put them nine points ahead of the Edinburgh students – a significant cushion, although the students have that game in hand against Clydesdale.

Clydesdale Western will have some breathing space to recover from losing both their unbeaten record and pole position in the table as they entertain sixth placed GHK at Titwood. Last time out Derek Forsyth`s charges won 2-0 so the three points should be secure again on Saturday.

In the final game of the top six Wildcats are at home to Hillhead, but concerning at Auchenhowie is that they have yet to win a game since the restart, and they have only scored one goal in four outings. Hillhead`s record is better in that they beat GHK in February, but they have also drawn a blank in goals in their last three games. Some might expect few goals on Saturday – sods law, the teams will now serve up an avalanche of goals!

Glasgow University are dictating the pace in the lower six table, after last weekend`s single goal victory over Uddingston they are beginning to pull away at the top. Saturday sees the students at home to a Dundee Wanderers side that have pulled away from the relegation zone with three victories out of four since the restart. So this could be a very interesting confrontation.

So also could be the clash in Aberdeen between Gordonians and Uddingston. Last Saturday was the Lanarkshire side`s first league reversal since the restart and they did win the earlier fixture 4-1 – that perhaps makes them favourite for the three points. But then again, the Aberdonians have won their last two fixtures against Grove Menzieshill and Erskine Stewarts Melville, so there is also some form there as well.

EMS are beginning to look a bit of a lost cause and must take something from Saturday`s game against a Grove Menzieshill side that are seven points ahead of them if survival is going to have any meaning.

Meanwhile, Clydesdale Western advanced into the semi-final of the women`s Scottish Cup with a 1-0 win at Hillhead last night, the only goal came from Karin Belch.

Advantage Western Wildcats in the men`s Premiership. But it is far from being a done deal. Last weekend`s 4-4 draw between Western and Grange changed nothing – Western retained their five point lead.

The pressure is perhaps more on Grange, the Edinburgh side must keep on winning and hope Vishal Marwaha`s charges have some lapses in the final six games.

Not an easy outing for Grange this weekend with a trip to Peffermill to face third placed Edinburgh University. And the previous outing ended in a goalless draw.

After an impressive run of form in this season`s Premiership the students came a serious cropper against Clydesdale last Saturday – losing 6-2. The contest was over by the interval with Dale four up, thereafter there was only one winner.

So can coach Hamish Imrie pick up his charges and give Grange a run for their money? Wait and see!

Meanwhile, at Auchenhowie Western must be favourites to see off a Dunfermline Carnegie side that have lost a bit of momentum since the break with only two points from four games. And they did lose the earlier league encounter at Auchenhowie 6-2, Rob Harwood was top scorer with a double that day.

Clydesdale could gallop into fourth place if they can take the points at Watsonians on Saturday. The Dale are on a mini roll with a draw against Western and a 6-2 defeat of the Edinburgh students, so the potential is there. And the Edinburgh side have not been quite so impressive since the restart with only a couple of draws in four outings, although one was a 3-3 draw with Grange.

The battle to avoid the automatic relegation spot seems to be between the Tayside pair Grove Menzieshill who trail Dundee Wanderers by three points – although Kelburne are not totally out of the mix yet.

Grove Menzieshill are at home to Inverleith who top the bottom six table. After beating Grove Menzieshill 3-2 in early February, Inverleith sunk into some indifferent form, but last weekend revived to see off Uddingston 2-1. So Inverleith may be a difficult starting point for their survival programme.

Wanderers, on the other hand, may fancy taking something from their trip to Glasgow Green to face Kelburne. And they are only five points adrift of the Paisley side, it could be interesting if that was reduced to two after the weekend. However, a Kelburne victory would be bad news for the Wanderers survival chances.

The Hillhead – Uddingston clash is the third between the sides this season – Uddingston won the league match 2-0, then recently Hillhead won the shoot-out in the Scottish Cup after a 1-1 draw, and they both sit on 19 points in the table – there is clearly not much between the sides. Another close encounter is in the offing at Old Anniesland.

 

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