Sides ready for battle as finishing line approaches

After a total whiteout last weekend teams get back to the day job with title races and relegation battles taking on greater significance as the finishing straight raises its head above the horizon.

The outstanding fixture on today’s premiership card takes place at Peffermill where defending champions and league leaders Edinburgh University carry a slender three-point advantage into their top of the table clash against former title holders Grove Menzieshill.

Grove took the honours in the early season head-to-head. However, the rematch is difficult to predict with the unavailability of Commonwealth Games squad members throwing curve balls at both team’s selections.

Clydesdale Western are a further four points off the pace, but they have a game in hand and will be sure to put added pressure on the leading pair with victory over GHK.

Wildcats sit fourth, but might find it tricky to add to their tally without Scotland stars Becky Ward and Kaz Cuthbert, allowing for the possibility of MJV Wanderers slashing the points gap by repeating their earlier success over Grange today, while tomorrow’s Dalnacraig outing against Watsonians offers up another three-point opportunity.

Kelburne’s misfortunes as bottom markers look set to continue with Hillhead favourites to keep the points at home.

It has been a season-long struggle for the local university squads in Division 2 with Dundee and St Andrews unlikely to make any headway against Granite City Wanderers and Erskine Stewart’s Melville respectively.

Grove’s second string are handily placed to hoist themselves into the top four in Championship League 1 by seeing off visitors Waverley Inveresk Trinity, while Stirling University will be confident they can inflate the current six-point cushion they hold over basement dwellers CALA II.

Stirling Wanderers, in the promotion mix for Champ 2, are favourites to keep the winning streak going when they welcome St Andrews II today and Dundee Uni IIS tomorrow. Kinross would consolidate their mid-table comfort zone with an away win over Grange II.

Madras FPS appear to be homing in on another Midland title, having conceded just one goal in their nine outings.

Brechin try their luck in St Andrews today, while second-in-the-table Blairgowrie travel to meet Kinross IIS.

Free-scoring Grove IIIS travel to Stirling Uni IIS with one objective. Returning with all three points would put one hand on the Division 2 silverware and ensure promotion.