Test of whether Grove can mount challenge

Dundee Wanderers and Grove Menzieshill face each other for the second time this season after the season’s opener at Disc in September, writes our men’s hockey correspondent.

That result went the way of Menzieshill, although that was also Wanderers’ first game on their return to the top flight.

Menzieshill are now firmly in the top four, so crucial for the post-league play-offs, and have produced better all-round performances in recent games.

Whether they can challenge Grange and Kelburne depends on taking full points from games such as tomorrow’s.

There should be little doubt that Grange and Kelburne will each lift three more points.

Wanderers took some time to settle but have now moved out of the bottom four, also crucial in terms of the extensive relegation schedule.

Victories over Uddingston and Clydesdale and draws with Inverleith and Edinburgh University in their last four matches have bolstered Wanderers’ position, but much still needs to be done to secure that status.

Perthshire will be keen to extend their winning sequence away to Granite City Wanderers.

The Aberdeen team surprisingly languish third from the foot of Division 2, while Perthshire are clearly in touch with leaders Watsonians.

Perthshire’s attack is clearly the stronger part of their game but when scoring an average of four goals per game, perhaps they can sustain a few defensive blips.

Harris are still seeking their first point but their performances have improved of late, especially only going down 4-2 to Perthshire last week.

However, tomorrow’s trip to Aberdeen to face Gordonians is unlikely to be quite so close as the strength of the team still varies from week to week, with travel apparently causing more problems.

Monarchs seem to have been on the wrong end of the Division 3 schedule as they are again inactive tomorrow.