Tough day for Clydesdale in Alanya meanwhile the Premiership restarts

CLYDESDALE WESTERN 2 GAZIANTEP POLISGUCU SK (TURKEY)

CLYDESDALE WESTERN 5 SK SLAVIA PRAGUE (CZECH REPUBLIC) 9

It was a good day at the office yesterday for Clydesdale with two victories, but today was challenging with back to back defeats to the Turkish and Czech champions.

The problem was that the Turks were physical and skilful while the Czech were organised and a passing side – these factors were apparently the ingredients of their success against Clydesdale.

Clydesdale suffered their first defeat of the tournament at the hands of their Turkish hosts who won 4-2 – in fact, this was Clydesdale`s first reversal of the entire indoor season.

The scenario was familiar – Clydesdale going behind in the opening sessions and staging a comeback in the second half – but this time the comeback failed to overturn the deficit.

After a goalless first quarter it was Gaziantep who took the initiative with three goals in the second through Yeter Celik, Songul Fatma Gultekin and Balzhan Beisanbay for a commanding advantage.

Clydesdale had a couple of penalty corner opportunities in the third quarter, but neither produced a goal.

The killer came a minute into the final quarter with another strike from Gultekin…and the game seemed to be slipping away.

But then came the traditional comeback, a minute later Millie Steiger converted Clydesdale`s third penalty corner, the Turks had a player visiting the sin bin, and Steiger added a second from another set piece opportunity to reduce the deficit to 4-2.

This time the comeback did not have a happy ending…at least for Clydesdale.

The Slavia game provided an avalanche of 14 goals…perfect for the spectators but not for Clydesdale who only got five of them

Slavia Prague swept Clydesdale aside in the opening 15 minutes of the second match, marching into a 6-1 lead. Natalie Hajkova and Magdalena Smidova both scored twice and the others came from Adela Lehovcova and Eliska Kadlecova while an open play strike from Kayleigh Justice was the only reply.

Clydesdale began to recover their composure and at a penalty corner Holly Steiger deflected home a shot by Margery Justice. Just before the interval Fiona Semple made it 6-3 from the spot, ending a half of nine goals, mostly to the Czechs.

Clydesdale`s recovery was halted a minute into the second half when Lehovcova put Slavia 7-3 in front at a penalty corner. And that was the end of the scoring in the third quarter although Clydesdale did have a penalty corner chance which came to nothing.

Hajkova completed her hat-trick a minute into the final quarter to advance Slavia`s tally to eight. Clydesdale had the better of the final exchanges, certainly Hajkova increased her personal tally to four in the match, but Millie Steiger scored a couple of open play goals, the first from a rebound from a Margery Justice initial shot while her second finished off a passing move involving Justice and Fiona Semple.

And that completed the scoring.

PREMIERSHIP

WESTERN OPEN UP A SEVEN POINT GAP IN THE MEN`S WHILE WATSONIANS JOIN CLYDESDALE WESTERN AT THE TOP OF THE WOMEN`S

Western were the main beneficiaries of today`s action in the men`s Premiershp, they beat Edinburgh University at Auchenhowie while the other sides dropped two points each with draws in the other games in the top six competition.

The catalyst in Western`s triumph was four set piece goals by Andrew McConnell which seemed to knock the stuffing out of the Edinburgh students.

It was a fairly even start, Andrew McConnell opened for the Wildcats while Declan Bradley replied for the students. But then the Wildcats clawed their way to a 4-1 lead, McConnell netted twice from penalty corners for his hat-trick while youngster Adam McKenzie scored with a spectacular strike into the top corner. Hamish Imrie pulled the score back to 4-2 but the Wildcats were not to be denied as McConnell scored his fourth of the game from the spot.

Western`s coach Vishal Marwaha said: “We played much better than the last time we drew 4-4 with Edinburgh University, we were much more in control. There was much more structure to our attack and defence. There is still room for improvement as this is the first game back after the winter break, and I`m sure that will come in the next few games.”

Meanwhile, Grange were held to a 3-3 draw by Watsonians, courtesy of an overtime penalty corner strike from Dan Coultas which completed his hat-trick of set pieces. Earlier Grange had marched into a 3-1 lead through a double by the league`s top scorer Fraser Heigh and another by Jamie Croll, but they were unable to consolidate on their advantage.

Meanwhile, Dunfermline Carnegie and Clydesdale fought out a high-scoring 5-5 draw as the game ebbed and flowed between the sides. Ali Douglas and David Clark gave the Titwood-based side a two goal lead in the first quarter.

By halftime the Fifers were 3-2 ahead through Steven Glass and a couple of set piece conversions by Aidan McQuade. Andrew Allan made it 3-3, Archie Stephen put Carnegie 4-3 up only for David Nairn to level at 4-4.

In the closing quarter McQuade completed his hat-trick at another penalty corner but the `Dale retaliated with another strike by Allan for a final ten goal share of the points.

In the lower competition there was a dramatic change of fortune in the Inverleith v Hillhead fixture. The Edinburgh side were three up and cruising, but Hillhead staged a fantastic recovery to win 4-3 with goals from Matthew Carder, Jimmy Lynch Small, Fraser Ward and Andrew Black. The result puts the Glasgow side up to twelve points and clear of relegation issues.

The Tayside derby provided an eight goal thriller – Dundee Wanderers winning out 5-3 to move off bottom place and leave their Grove Menzieshill rivals in the relegation spot.

It was an even affair for much of the contest and was poised at 3-3. Wanderers`Callum Ross and Kennedy Gibb helped themselves to opening goals with mutual assists, then Bobby Ralph smashed the ball past the keeper. But it was Wanderers who stole the initiative with Ralph finishing off a one to one with the keeper and Jack Donaldson scoring a fifth with a solo effort.

Covid is still having an detrimental effect on the domestic scene, it has forced the postponement of the men`s match between Uddingston and Kelburne along with Sundays Scottish Cup tie involving Hillhead and Uddingston.

Photo by David McCarthy

Watsonians moved to join Clydesdale Western at the top of the women`s Premiership, but Keith Smith`s charges left it very late to seal the necessary three points. The Edinburgh side now share the 33 point spot, albeit it with a game more played, but are still behind the Titwood side on goal difference.

There were chances at both ends during the contest but no goals. As the game went on the Edinburgh side began to take more control but it was only with 90 seconds left that their dominance was converted into a lead. In a counter-attack up the right it was Katherine Holdgate who created the opening and her pass found Heather Tait who calmly flicked the ball into the side of the net for the belated winner.

Wildcats` Kaz Cuthbert said: “We had two of our players out with Covid and Becky Ward out with injury, so we had a young squad that fought hard and went toe to toe with Watsonians at full strength.”

Whatever, it was Watsonians` coach Keith Smith who left the more content with the three points.

Hillhead won the Glasgow derby 2-1 against GHK. Both Hillhead`s goals came from Wendy Andrews while Heather Curry got GHK`s consolation. The result means that Hillhead leapfrog GHK into fifth spot by a couple of points.

In the lower competition Glasgow University continue to impress under captain Catriona Humphery, today they won 2-0 against the visiting Gordonians side. After a goalless first half, the Glasgow students took the lead in the third quarter when Dara Devine finished off a well-worked penalty corner routine. The three points were then secured at another penalty corner won by Corrie Hay, the ball was slipped left and Hay herself finished off the award for Glasgow`s second.

Uddingston were also in fine form with a 5-0 defeat of Grove, there was a hat-trick for Caterina Neill while Emma Worthington and McKenzie Bell got the others, and the Lanarkshire side are confirmed in eighth place.

Dundee Wanderers moved into tenth spot above Grove after a 3-1 win over Erskine Stewarts Melville. The Taysiders were a goal up at the interval, a long diagonal pass from Sam Sangster found Vikki Bunce for the opening goal.

Bunce`s second strike of the game came following a pass from Jess Martin. The Edinburgh side pulled one back through a breakaway goal from Emily Moran. But the points were sealed with a clincher from Megan Cant in the final quarter.

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