Titles and relegation coming down to the wire with only three games left

Last gasp slip-ups can creep in as the nerves jangle in the run-in to Premiership titles. Could this happen to Western Wildcats men and Watsonians women in the respective Premiership denouements? Western have a five point cushion and Watsonians are six ahead, although Clydesdale Western have a game in hand. So both are close to the finish line.

On Saturday in the men’s Premiership Western Wildcats travel to Titwood to take on fourth placed Clydesdale, with the ambition to take the three points back to Auchenhowie. Western are unbeaten with points only dropped in three draws; they have scored 105 goals in their 18 matches and have yet to score less than three goals in any league game – impressive statistics.

However, they did show a hint of an Achilles heel last time out against Clydesdale. Seemingly cruising at three up through an Andrew McConnell hat-trick, Vishal Marwaha`s charges saw the Titwood side rescue a 3-3 draw in the end. That might be a lesson that will not be lost on the Western coach for Saturday`s encounter.

Victory on Saturday would put Western in a very strong position, still ahead of Grange and with a superior goal difference. The Auchenhowie side would have to lose both their remaining games against Grange and then Dunfermline Carnegie to surrender the crown.

And all that is supposing that Grange do not falter against Dunfermline at Fettes on Saturday.

Grange won the last such outing 8-1 with Fraser Heigh getting half of them – a reversal this time around would be a great result for the Fifers.

Edinburgh University hope to hold on to third spot, they are currently four points ahead of Clydesdale, and that aspiration would be further helped if they were to take the three points from their Peffermill encounter with Watsonians.

At the other end of the men’s Premiership Grove Menzieshill will aim to win their remaining three games with a flurry of goals to try and escape relegation. On Saturday they are away to eighth placed Uddingston.

Looking to survive the drop are Tayside rivals Dundee Wanderers, they occupy the play-off relegation spot, four points adrift of Kelburne. But Wanderers have a difficult outing on Saturday at home to Inverleith who top the lower section of the Premiership.

However, Wanderers have a good record against the Edinburgh outfit, they won the opening game 3-1 to be followed by a 1-1 draw – so there is still hope on the banks of the Tay.

Kelburne entertain Hillhead who won the previous outings 2-0 and 4-0 – and yet a win on Glasgow Green would go a long way to ensuring their safety.

There is no doubt that Watsonians are in the driving seat in the women`s Premiership and they are at home against a GHK side that have yet to win since the winter break. Keith Smith`s charges might hope to augment their slightly superior goal difference over Clydesdale Western and make their title bid even more secure.

Second placed Clydesdale need to keep on winning to continue the pressure on Watsonians but also to hold on to that second European spot as they are only three points ahead of Edinburgh University. And the sides still have to meet in a catch-up fixture. On Saturday they travel to Windyedge to take on Hillhead, a side they have recorded back to back 4-0 wins earlier in the campaign.

Edinburgh University will hope for the three points at Wildcats’ home at Auchenhowie, but with Kaz Cuthbert and Becky Ward back in the pack it might not be so easy. Last weekend Kaz remarked: “That has helped to steady the ship a little and it was a much more positive performance from the Cats against Clydesdale.”

In the lower reaches of the table Erskine Stewarts Melville are unfortunately already relegated after a year in the top flight.

Grove Menzieshill currently occupy the play-off relegation spot, six points behind Gordonians and an inferior goal difference. And on Saturday the two sides meet on Tayside. Grove Menzieshill will see this as a must win.

Grove Menzieshill have yet to win the fixture with two fairly narrow defeats, although they were perhaps unlucky not to take the three points at Glasgow University last weekend. Conversely, a Gordonians victory would certainly see them safe.

In the other fixtures Glasgow University will hope to return to winning ways against ESM while the confrontation between seventh placed Uddingston and Dundee Wanderers could be an interesting occasion.

Sunday sees the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup and sometimes league form is not such a helpful guide on the day.

In the women`s cup in-form Watsonians are up against a Wildcats` side that are looking to recapture some goal scoring form. A couple of weeks ago Watsonians triumphed 3-1, there was a double for Nicola Skrastin and Nikki Stobie got the other.

The other tie involving Edinburgh University and Clydesdale Western looks a close affair. The students won the recent league encounter 4-1, Amy Brodie getting a couple, but on the day this encounter could go either way.

In the men`s cup Western Wildcats will aim to see off Dunfermline Carnegie, given that it was 8-0 a few weeks ago at Auchenhowie. However the Fifers have done very well reaching the semi-final stages for the first time and would love to go one step further.

The other tie between Hillhead and Edinburgh University could potentially be very close given that the former have recovered well from a sticky start to the season – they have only lost once in 2022.

The students won the only league clash 2-1 but that was a way back in September – perhaps not much of a guide.

Hillhead have absolutely nothing to lose as they face third placed Edinburgh, and Keith Joss will fire up his squad to have a go.

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