It`s really quite tight at the top of the men`s National League division 1, Western Wildcats move up to pole position but only by a point from Grove Menzieshill. Inverleith are three points adrift after their back to back victories, but they do have a game in hand. As a result of their defeat at the hands of Inverleith Grange drop back to fourth. Dundee Wanderers are the best of the rest on the six point mark while the others are struggling for points.
Grange started off the day defending their league leadership… and did just that with a 5-2 win over Uddingston in their opening game. F Rowling`s double gave the Edinburgh side a two goal lead at the interval. Grange advanced their cause to four in the second half with strikes from Gordon Amour and Rowling again, but then Uddy came to life with strikes from Stephen McKenzie and Louis Gardiner for a slimmer 4-2 lead. But the points were secured with a final goal from Rowling for his own fourth.
However, their moment in the sun came to a stuttering end with a 12-2 defeat by Inverleith.
What might be billed the game of the day between Inverleith and Grove Menzieshill turned out to provide a emphatic winning score line to the Edinburgh side with a 5-0 win…and all the goals came from open play. The champions were two up at the interval through Sam Hunt and Charlie Jack. The second half waited for the Tayside revival – but it never came. Instead Ollie Wilson, Hunt again and Keir Robb simply added to the Inverleith tally for the three points which pushed them above Menzieshill in the table.
The champions then ended Grange`s success bubble in some style with a 12-2 win in the head to head. However, it was 1-1 after twelve minutes, Charlie Jack opened for Inverleith closely followed by Grange`s Rowling – and that was the end of the parity. The goals flowed for a rampant Inverleith for the rest of the contest. Jack followed up with another four, taking his match total to five, Keir Robb also scored four while Alex Wilson got a hat-trick…and in between Murray Banks got a Grange consolation.
However, Menzieshill restored their composure and were 6-1 winners over Uddingston in their second outing. It was four at half-time with goals from Connor Chapman, Ross McPherson, Harry Mowatt and Findlay Duncan. Menzieshill`s tally advanced to six through Alfie Banner and Euan Cuthill before Finn Halliday notched a consolation for Uddy.
That was followed up with a 7-2 win over local rivals Dundee Wanderers, and Alfie Banner scored no fewer than five in the local derby. It was two each at the interval, Banner`s double was negated by strikes from Oscar Brown and Callum Ross. But the second half belonged to Menzieshill, a further three from Banner with Gavin Tomlinson and Harry Mowatt contributing the others. And the Hill move back into second spot although Inverleith have a game in hand.
Western Wildcats started off the day`s proceedings with a comfortable 8-2 win over Clydesdale and advanced their cause to seven points. The game was effectively over by the interval with Wildcats five up through Fabien Goldie, Fraser Moran, Jamie Golden, Rob Harwood and Scott Menzies. Clydesdale`s Ethan Robertson and Stuart Eadie reduced the deficit to 5-2, but no comeback ensued as Fraser Moran added another couple with brother Cameron also scoring.
Wildcats’ progress further up the table was aided by a 5-2 win over Dundee Wanderers in their second game of the day. They were three up at the interval through Jamie Golden, Fraser and Cameron Moran. But Wanderers retaliated with a penalty corner from Bobby Ralph and Kennedy Gibb to bring the score back to a perilous 3-2. However, Wildcats purred on to the three points with further strikes from Rob Harwood and Golden from the spot.
In the penultimate game of the day Wildcats advanced to pole position after a convincing 10-1 win over Uddingston. Again Western laid the foundation in the first half with a double from Jamie Golden and others from Rob Harwood and Fraser Moran, Luca Gardiner replied for Uddy. Wildcats ran away with the second half with further strikes from Moran twice for his hat-trick, another double from Golden for four in total, Harwood for his second and finally Nikki Homfray.
Dundee Wanderers launched their bid to progress up the division with a 8-2 win over Watsonians for their second win of the championship. But it was tight for the first half with the Tayside lead limited to 3-2, a Callum Ross double and one from Bobby Ralph were Wanderers` scorers with David Cain and Noah Gray replying for the Edinburgh side. But the second half belonged to the Dundonians, Ross got his hat-trick at a penalty corner, Ralph scored his own second while Oscar Brown and Kennedy Gibb were also on target.
However, their progress upwards was somewhat stifled by later defeats at the hands of Western and Menzieshill.
In the battle for elusive points to get off the bottom rungs of the table, it was Clydesdale who finally broke their duck with a 2-1 win over Watsonians and move up two places.
The only goal of the first half came from the spot in nine minutes and it was Ethan Robertson who converted. The Dale doubled their lead through Stuart Eadie, and although Daniel Cain reduced the deficit Watsonians were unable to get back to level terms.
