Before this weekend Grange seemed to have hit a stumbling block – a draw with Hillhead and defeat at the hands of Edinburgh University…and the Premiership title was at risk of slipping away.
Then Grange responded in style – they put in a powerful performance to see off rivals Western Wildcats 4-0 to re-establish their title credentials. The result leaves Grange a point ahead of Edinburgh University with two games remaining.
The title remains very much in Grange`s own hands – if they can beat Watsonians and Uddingston in the two remaining fixtures – then the title is theirs.
Grange took the initiative right from the start and a double from Aussie Dylan Bean gave them a solid two goal lead at the interval. Western Wildcats came back into the contest early in the second half but any revival was stifled by a penalty corner conversion by Grange`s Aidan McQuade for the third. In the latter stages Jamie Green added a fourth for Grange but Wildcats` cause was not aided by a spot miss by Fraser Moran.
Grange manager Martin Shepherdson said: “We were very pleased with the result. I felt we had the better of the first half but Western came back after half time. But our third goal in the third quarter was perhaps the killer.”
Meanwhile Edinburgh University moved into second spot, one point adrift of Grange, after a 5-0 win over Watsonians. The goals came from Declan Bradley, Jamie Croll, Alex Wilson, Keir Robb and Ritchie McCluskey.
Uddingston retained their crucial fourth spot despite being held to a 2-2 draw by Hillhead, Matt Carder and Andrew Sinclair gave Hillhead the lead twice but Finn Halliday and Craig Spears levelled for the Lanarkshire side.
At the bottom end of the table Kelburne have been officially relegated after going down 3-1 at home to Dundee Wanderers.
It was Oscar Brown, Callum Ross and Jack Donaldson that did the damage for the Taysiders at Glasgow Green, while Andrew McGrane replied at a penalty corner.
After two draws the relegation play-off spot still seems to be a contest between Grove Menzieshill and ESM, the latter having a point advantage with two games remaining.
Grove Menzieshill fought out a 3-3 draw with Inverleith in a game of two halves. The Edinburgh side were three up at the interval, Charlie Jack scored twice with the other coming from Thomas Barton. Then back came the Dundonians with a double from Luke Cranney with Findlay Duncan getting the other – the final result was a share of the points.
It was the same outcome when ESM met Clydesdale – this time 1-1. ESM seemed to have most of the first half with several chances, but it was only when Paddy Crookshanks waltzed into the circle and fired a shot into the corner that the Edinburgh side took the lead. However, the lead was not to last and Clydesdale levelled in the second half.
In the women`s Premiership Clydesdale Western consolidated their third place in the table with a 3-1 home win over Western Wildcats. Alex Stuart put the Wildcats ahead in the first quarter but Clydesdale retaliated with a double from Heather O`Brien and another from Bronwyn Shields to take the three points.
Meanwhile, in the lower echelons St Andrews University consolidated their position at the top of that sector with a 4-2 home win over Inverleith. The students’ scorers were Niamh Burns, Ellen Sloss, Marnie Scatchard and Hannah Coull from a penalty.
And with Hillhead winning 3-2 at bottom side Gordonians, the contest to avoid the relegation play-off spot is heating up. There is only a single point separating Inverleith, Glasgow University and now Hillhead – all to play for.
