Hockey: Inverleith face up to daunting one-day triple header

INVERLEITH coach Stuart Neave shrugged off the loss of two Scottish international hockey players and declared: "We still have strength in depth."

Olympian Graham Moodie and Scottish international Chris Grassick are away on Scotland duty in Spain, but Neave still has international player Adam Mackenzie and Derek Salmond available along with Olympian Stephen Dick. It is Dick who will be asked to call the shots from midfield as pace-setting Inverleith look to consolidate top spot in the table when they square up to third-placed Grange, Western, who are fourth, and Kelburne, who are seventh.

And it is a tough ask for the under-strength Capital combine who had a weekend off last week as Scotland's under-21 side suffered in a nightmare EuroHockey Unider-21 tournament in Prague. Neave said: "Three games in one day will test us but if we play the way we have been playing then we can take maximum points."

Inverleith enjoy a three-point lead over seven-times champions Menzieshill with Grange a point adrift on 18.

"Young players like Callum Duke and Andy Malcolm, who were away with Scotland's under-21 side last weekend, are involved and Scottish international John Harris makes his comeback from a leg injury. He played and scored goals for our seconds last weekend and we'll use him in spells but he's quick and can cause real problems for the opposition.

"It is up to us. We must continue to play the way we have been - high tempo hockey," Neave went on. "Grange have David Knipe in charge and he knows the indoor game. They have only dropped six points in eight games It will take a lot of stamina from the boys but we'll see how things go."