Kyle back to boost league title hopes

Bridge of Allan Sports Club squash third team’s hopes of title glory face a crunch week with the Minewood men facing a pivotal double header.

The Allanwater Brewhouse sponsored side travel to Dean tonight (Wednesday) and then host Dunbar in a rearranged match on Friday knowing that victory in both will take them to within striking distance of leaders Watsonians who are due to visit on Wednesday, March 6.

The thirds are boosted by the return of Kyle Penman (pictured) who finished runner-up at the Scottish Squash Central Junior Silver event.

Captain Stewart Penman said: “We have five matches left to play and our destiny is very much in our own hands. But we are more than aware that both Dean and Dunbar have the quality in their sides to ruin our title bid.

He added: “Thankfully we have full strength line up for both games with Kyle returning to us after a spell up with the first team. In recent weeks we have also been boosted by the return to our ranks of Gordon Marshall and also Ross Waddell which has really added both depth and quality.

“But this is it, there can be no slip ups. We need to be welcoming the leaders to Minewood on the back of two solid victories that will mean when we host Watsonians, if we win, we go top. So it’s a case of one game at a time this week but nothing less than victory is acceptable.”

Meanwhile the firsts host thirdplaced Edinburgh Sports Club tomorrow (Thursday), desperate for a morale boosting victory.

Skipper Iain Logan said: “This is a massive game for us and we absolutely must make the most of home advantage. We have four matches to play and it’s vital we finish as strongly as we can if we are to pull free of the relegation dog-fight.”

The seconds meet Grange tonight (Wednesday) at Minewood knowing that defeat will almost certainly consign them to the drop.

Captain Robin Bairner admitted: “We will give it everything until it’s mathematically impossible to beat the drop but unfortunately a defeat tonight against Grange may bring us face to face with that reality.

“It has been a tough campaign and we have just been short on that bit of quality that would have helped us climb out of the mire.”

Elsewhere the ladies team face coleaders Edinburgh University after they moved on to the same 77-point mark as the students following a 5-0 whitewash of Watsonians.

Skipper Sheena Logan said: “This really is the must win match for us.”