There is perhaps a new shape to the Premiership fixtures this weekend. Why? The top sides are in head-to-head competition, and so are the teams at the bottom end of the table.
For instance, in the women`s competition champions Watsonians are at home to the rising star of GHK who are back in third spot. Watsonians have five straight wins with 48 goals scored and only two conceded – you can`t argue with these statistics. And Watsonians goals come from all quarters, not just Scotland striker Sarah Jamieson but also Katherine Holdgate, Ailsa Small, Emily Dark, Milly Berndes-Cade…and so it goes on.
In comparison, GHK`s statistic might be a little more modest but the Glasgow side have made an impact this season with four wins out of six outings. And Lucy Williamson is still rattling in the goals, two last weekend against Western Wildcats bringing the season`s total to nine.
Even if GHK don’t win this one, it would be no surprise to see them in the final top four play-offs.
And so on to Clydesdale Western at home to Edinburgh University. This is Clydesdale`s best start to a season for a while – six games and six victories, and they are winning their games reasonably comfortably. At the end of last season the Titwood-based side pipped the students to a place in Europe. Meanwhile, the return of Jen Eadie seems to have brought a bit of sparkle to the Titwood squad.
It’s not easy to evaluate the strength of the Edinburgh students this season under new coach Henry Langton. They lost to GHK in their first outing but have won the next three and sit fifth in the table, but two games behind most of the other sides in the league. Langton`s charges will have a chance to get in some practice with midweek games against Glasgow University and Fjordhus Reivers – if true to form Edinburgh should progress up to the top rungs of the table.
This could be a close affair.
Of the top sides perhaps Western Wildcats have a more suitable day in prospect with a home game against a Grange side that have yet to win a game. Only a win here will suffice for the Cats if they are to keep up the pressure at the top.
And so to the lower echelons. Uddingston and Fjordhus Reivers are both on a single point while Hillhead and Inverleith have three each – it`s quite tight here in the bottom rungs.
But there is bound to be some movement here as Hillhead play host to Uddingston – the winner here will move to safer ground. It might be harder for the other sides as Reivers visit a Glasgow University side that have won two of their four games so far, and that included Wildcats. While Inverleith host a St Andrews University side that have just tasted victory and that included an eight goal tally.
It is a three way tie at the top of the men`s Premiership, and so the top match of the day must be third placed Watsonians’ visit to neighbours Grange, who top the division on goal difference. Traditionally Grange have had the better of the exchanges over the recent years and Stevie Grubb`s men are starting to roll off impressive victories with David Nairn, Dylan Bean and Robbie Croll making regular scoring contributions.
In many respects Watsonians have excelled expectation, but they have won all six games to date, some with convincing score lines, others by a single goal, but they are up there in a winning triumvirate. However their next three games are against Grange on Saturday followed by Edinburgh University and Western Wildcats – and if they remain undefeated after that then their star is really in the ascendancy.
And who could forget the last time the teams met in last season`s Scottish Cup final – it was Watsonians who upset the odds and emerged 3-2 winners over Grange to lift the trophy for the first time in the club`s history. So can lightning strike twice?
Meanwhile second placed Western Wildcats travel along the M8 to take on Edinburgh University who finished runners-up last season. The students are under new coaching management in Neil Allan and have an almost perfect record – they did draw 1-1 at Grove Menzieshill. Last weekend both sides showed a whiff of vulnerability. The Edinburgh students were narrow 2-1 winners at Hillhead while at Uddingston Wildcats were seconds away from dropping a couple of points – only to emerge 3-2 winners with the final action of the contest.
However, Wildcats have shown themselves particularly stingy in defence – they have only conceded two goals in their six games so far and both of those were against Uddingston. And up front Jamie Golden is showing good form from both open play and set pieces. So perhaps the Wildcats might just have their noses in front.
ESM Lions are still on that winning roll and on Saturday entertain an Uddingston side that almost caused an upset against Western last weekend. Although the Lions knocked in six against Inverleith last Saturday, Uddingston are an unpredictable force and are only three points behind ESM. This could be close.
And so to the lower reaches. Dunfermline Carnegie, Dundee Wanderers and Inverleith all sit on zero points, separated only by goal difference. Something will give as Inverleith and Carnegie meet head-to-head, so the winner will get off the mark – or both if it`s a draw. Meanwhile, Wanderers are at home to a Clydesdale side that scored five times in their opening game against Hillhead and then went on a goal drought with only a single strike in the next five outings. So pointless Wanderers may fancy breaking their duck. On the other hand Clydesdale`s run of blanks must surely come to an end soon – and why not on Tayside?
In the final match on the card Grove Menzieshill are at home to Hillhead and coach Gav Byers may fancy his chances of another three points on their own patch after their promising performance against Wanderers last weekend. But the Glasgow side will be no push-over, they almost wrung a draw out of Edinburgh University last weekend, so this could be a close encounter as well.
