League and cup ties on agenda

Scotland’s clubs will be hopeful the weather plays ball for a double header weekend of league and national cup action. With very little wriggle room at national level any further disruption is likely to bring a major headache to an already congested league schedule.

On balance the top five premier league sides should hold station, the only nagging doubt being whether a resurgent Watsonians can throw a curve ball when Clydesdale Western pay a visit to Peffermill.

Grove Menzieshill are a safe bet to ramp up their goal tally at home to GHK, while MJV Wanderers should have enough fire-power to bring home the points from relegation candidates Kelburne.

In Division 2 Dundee and St Andrew’s entertain Fjordhus Reivers and Aberdeen University, any measure of success would be welcome.

Grove IIs head to Glasgow for a Championship 1 clash with MCCW IIIs while Stirling University host title contenders MCCW IIs at Forthbank.

Kinross sit comfortably mid-table in Champ 2 but might find high-flyers Strathclyde University a bit too hot to handle.

A win for St Andrews II would be enough to leapfrog Grange II.

Grove IIIs are odds-on favourites to clinch the Midland Division 2 title against Perthshire IIIs at Dawson Park, while Madras are homing in on the first division silverware.

Scottish cup quarter-finals dominate tomorrow’s play with Grove’s top squad hot tips for a landslide victory over Aberdeen University while their reserve string could double the success at home to CALA IIs.

Victory over Fife neighbours Dunfermline Carnegie would take Madras through to the last four in the District Cup, while Perthshire II will hope to benefit from playing longdistance opponents Ellon at Kilgraston.

Meanwhile, the strength of Midland youth hockey was very much in evidence in yesterday’s Scottish Schools’ finals at Glasgow Green.

Youth internationalist Ruth Blaikie played the captain’s role in leading a combined Perth schools’ squad to a 2-0 triumph over Millburn Academy in the Aspire Plate before Ava Keating fired in the game decider in Strathallan’s S3 Plate victory over Midland rivals High School of Dundee.