In the men`s competition Grange, Edinburgh University and Western Wildcats started their campaigns with a win. While last season’s top sides in the women`s Premiership were comfortable winners on the opening day.
In the women`s competition champions Watsonians started off with double figures with an 11-0 win over Premiership novices Fjordhus Reivers, and again Scotland striker Sarah Jamieson continued her lethal finishing with four goals. There were also doubles for Emily Dark and Milly Berndes-Cade while Katherine Holdgate, Ailsa Small and Jenna Park on her debut completed the scoring.
Watsonians` coach Keith Smith assessed: “We created a lot of chances with eleven goals, hit the bar twice and the post three times, and then again their keeper made a lot of good saves as well. Overall, we were good in spells and not so good in other spells.”
Clydesdale Western were also on the rampage with a 7-0 win over Inverleith at Titwood. Here there were two goals each for Emma McGregor and Ciara Forgie while Anna Winter; Jenny Eadie; and Ava Graham supplied the rest. Most of the goals came in the fourth quarter with clinical finishing from the Western pack.
Wildcats showed neighbours Hillhead no mercy with a conclusive 6-0 victory at Auchenhowie. The Cats were two up in as many minutes with a penalty corner from Kate Holmes into the roof of the net followed by another from Lexi Macmillan who took the ball across her body and planted it into the net. By half-time Wildcats had clawed their way to four with further strikes from Macmillan and Holmes from the spot. The second half produced two further goals, Holmes completed her hat-trick at another set piece and Rachel Bain`s strike brought up the half dozen.
GHK also started off the season on a positive note with a 3-0 victory over Uddingston. The Glasgow side were two up in the opening ten minutes through Joanne Boyle and Lucy Williamson. The latter also scored at a penalty corner in the second half to secure the three points. GHK`s Lucy Williamson said: ” It was a great start to the season for GHK with a strong win against Uddingston.”
The final game on the women’s card resulted in a 3-3 draw between Grange and St Andrews University. Marianna MacLean; Rachel Shiel; and Heather Croll found the net for the home side while the students reply came from Fiona Hawkings, Lucy Jamieson and Liz Agatucci.
Grange men were first up on the opening day at high noon with the defence of their Premiership title against newly promoted Dunfermline Carnegie and came away with a 3-0 victory.
It started well enough, Aussie Dylan Bean scored with a penalty corner strike in only two minutes, and fellow Aussie Ola Marshall on his Grange debut doubled the tally just before the interval. The result was effectively sealed when Alan Johnston added a third a minute into the second half, and that was the end of the scoring.
Grange manager Martin Shepherdson remarked: “We dominated the game certainly and did most of the running but we didn`t score as many as we should have done. We were short of quite a lot of players and at the end of the day were happy to record a win in our first outing. To be fair Carnegie improved as the game went on and their young keeper Lewis McGuiness had several important saves.”
Carnegie`s Olly Hobdell said, “Despite the loss Carnegie feels positive about the result for the start of the season and their continuation into their return to the Premiership.”
The Grange assessment could so easily have applied to Western Wildcats` coach Vishal Marwaha whose side managed to overcome stubborn resistance from Grove Menzieshill at Auchenhowie, but finally came away with a 2-0 win. After the frustration of a goalless first half Fraser Moran and Rob Harwood finally found the net for the three points.
Vishal said: “We had a number of penalty corner and open play chances but we failed to execute in the circle. It was encouraging that we played very well up to the circle. However, the Menzieshill keeper frustrated us with a number of crucial saves.”
Last season`s runners-up Edinburgh University were two minutes from dropping two valuable points against ESM, but Scotland striker Keir Robb rescued the occasion with a belated penalty corner conversion. Earlier Tim Hoffman opened for ESM with a tap in but by the interval Arthur Owens and Iain McFadden have given the students a 2-1 half-time lead. ESM were back on level terms when a pass from Jack Collister found Scott Souter in the circle and he found the net, but a share of the points was not to be with Robb`s late counter for the students.
Elsewhere, Uddingston started off its men’s campaign with a convincing 7-1 win over Inverleith. Penalty corner expert Jedd Campbell scored twice from the set piece and the other strikes emanated from Fahmi Khalid, Amirul Halif, Louis Gardiner, Ben Young and Finn Halliday. Finlay Duncan got Inverleith`s consolation.
Watsonians also clocked up a magnificent seven against Dundee Wanderers in Edinburgh. Matthew Leiper was top with a double and the other goals came from Gabe Tenner; Roddy Craig; Gav MacKenzie; Tommy Orr and finally player/coach Dan Coultas.
Leaving the best for the last, Hillhead and Clydesdale fought out a thrilling 5-5 draw in what Hillhead coach Yan Adams described as “a real spectacle for the crowd.”
It was a ding-dong affair and Hillhead looked to have secured the points, but with eight seconds to go Ethan Robertson scored from the spot to steal the draw. There was never more than a goal in the contest which ebbed and flowed to a final climax. Callum Duke celebrated his return to Hillhead with a close range strike in 15 minutes and that was followed by further goals from Jackson Corry-Duff at a penalty corner, Matt Carder, player/coach Yan Adams with a close range deflection and finally Fraser Ward. In reply Clydesdale`s scorers were Luke Bannerman, Ben Moulson at a penalty corner, Cameron Mitchell, Harry Leggatt and Robertson`s late equaliser.
