Club needs a win from capital trip
Bridge of Allan skipper’s Edinburgh aim
First team skipper Robin Bairner has described Bridge of Allan’s trip to Edinburgh University as a must-win match.
The sports club’s squash stars, sponsored by Richardson and Starling, have been drawn into the East Division One relegation mire and currently sit seventh just two points above the drop zone and only 12 points clear of the students with 18 available for a win.
With last week’s visit of Colinton Castle called off after the Aussie flu outbreak decimated the capital side’s ranks, Bairner admits his side’s preparations have been far from ideal.
He said: “This is probably the most important game of the season so far for us. If we lose Edinburgh University will have climbed above us and we’ll be right in it.
“We are coming off a frustrating period where we have lost our last two fixtures played and then seen our next two games called off due to the weather and the flu, so there is no doubt that we are a bit undercooked for such an important game.
“However, the one positive we can take into this game is that when we played Edinburgh Uni at home in November we turned them over 4-1.”
It’s a different story for the 2nds who thrashed Colinton Castle 3rds 5-0 to close to within seven points of second-placed Waverley ahead of tonight’s trip to Second Division leaders Heriot Watt University.
Captain Martin Jack said: “The win over Colinton sets us up nicely for the big one at Heriot Watt tonight. We are 19 points behind them but have a game in hand and if we can get the win then it would rekindle our hopes of the title.
“We lost the corresponding fixture 4-1 at Minewood back in October and two of the singles we lost that night were five-setters, so we know there is not a lot in it and really we just need everyone to bring their ‘A-game’ to the party!”
The 3rds go into this evening’s visit of Division Five leaders Watsonians just eight points adrift of the Edinburgh outfit.
Delighted skipper Stewart Penman is fielding his strongest side of the season for the big one. “We go into this off a strong 4-1 win at Linlithgow on Friday and with Ben Orr, Ross Waddell and Kyle Penman back in the side to complement Robbie Harper and Bert Mitchell we have no excuses if we come up short.”
The ladies team entertain Waverley 1sts with captain Sheena Morrison hungry to claim a victory that could propel her side back into the top three.
She said: “We had a bit of an epic with Waverley back in October at their place before we came through 4-1 but two of these wins were five setters that were real rollercoaster affairs.
“They will come to Minewood thirsting for revenge but we are just two points adrift of third place and on course for our best ever league finish and if we want to achieve that we must win.”