Inverleith rue missed chances after draw and loss

Published on Monday 1 December 2008 09:07

INVERLEITH were left to rue what might have been after they emerged with only a point from the first weekend of action in Division One of the Scottish indoor hockey league.

The Edinburgh club drew 5-5 with Western in their opening game before losing 6-3 to defending champions Menzieshill.

But Inverleith's Middlesbrough-born hit-man John Harris admitted: "We should have taken two points."

Harris, 19, a photography student at Napier University, said: "We missed a bucket load of chances, including two open goals, and failed to convert a penalty shot against Western.

"We created enough chances to win the game but at least we got a point from the first weekend. We put up a good fight but they were clinical with their chances."

Inverleith, minus penalty corner specialists Stephen Dick (injured) and Adam Mackenzie (working) were only 4-2 behind at the break against Menzieshill and rammed home an early goal at the resumption to narrow the gap to 4-3 – but the Dundee-based combine, who specialise in the indoor game, pulled away again.

Grange and Watsonians both came away empty handed. Grange lost 7-6 to Kelburne, who did not play a goalkeeper, and then 12-2 in the final game of the day to early pace-setters Wanderers. And Watsonians lost 8-2 to Wanderers in their opening game before going down 8-6 to Kelburne.

In Division Two, Edinburgh beat Uddingston 5-4 but then suffered two straight defeats, a 9-4 reverse to Hillhead and a 9-5 reverse at the hands of Aberdeen.

And in Division Three, Inverleith A lost 8-5 to East Kilbride before beating Greenock 7-2.