CALA’s relegation fight hindered by eight absentees

CALA EDINBURGH have eight players missing as they attempt to beat the drop from hockey’s Division One tomorrow.

The Meggetland club are eighth in the ten-strong table with 11 points from 12 games but last weekend’s home defeat by ninth-placed Hillhead, who have seven points having played only 11 games, has put relegation back in the picture.

Edinburgh travel to Tayside this weekend to square up to seventh-placed Grove Menzieshill, who have 12 points from ten games.

Missing are Scott Sutherland, who is now based in Australia, Mike Rea, who is in New Zealand for a wedding, Phil Rae, who is having a knee operation, Paul Gillespise, who has a dislocated shoulder, Stephen Glass, a long-term injury victim, Simon Waugh, who has a long-term ankle injury, Paul Waugh, who was injured in a car accident and Ivan Toombs, who has work commitments.

Elsewhere, second-placed Grange travel to Western, who are third, fresh from their 4-0 victory over bottom club Dundee Wanderers in Edinburgh last Saturday. Grange have 26 points from 12 outings, three more than Western, who had a Saturday off last weekend when Olympic referee Ged Curran went to the wrong venue.

Edinburgh University, who slipped down to sixth place last Saturday, welcome key men back for their trip to Hillhead.

Elsewhere, fourth-placed Inverleith, fresh from earning bronze in the EuroHockey Indoor Club Trophy at Napier University last weekend, travel to bottom club Wanderers, who have only one point so far this season after 12 games, minus Euro hero Adam Mackenzie. He has a broken finger suffered in the final seconds of Sunday’s final game in the indoor event against French side Lille.