Hockey: Reid targets Cup final win as Inverleith's route into Europe

DAVID Reid today eyed Inverleith's Scottish hockey cup showdown with Kelburne on Saturday and said: "We want a passport to Europe."

Winning the showpiece game would mean a winner-takes-all clash with Western for the one remaining slot.

Kelburne, the newly-crowned Division One champions, are favourites but Reid's depleted side raised their game to beat Western 2-1 at Peffermill in their semi-final. And the coach relishes the prospect of creating a major domestic hockey shock in front of a big Peffermill crowd.

Goals from Heriot-Watt student Richard Jess, his first for the club, after 21 minutes and Olympian Stephen Dick, seven minutes into the second-half, put Inverleith on the road to the final.

The injury-hit Edinburgh outfit, missing two key men, then picked up two yellow cards to stand-in central defender Phil Hall and then John Martin which put them on the back foot. Western took their cue and bore down on the Inverleith defence which held firm apart from a penalty corner strike from Scottish international defender Andrew Sewnauth with 20 minutes left.

Scott McCartney then missed a gilt-edged chance with nine minutes remaining but Inverleith, who finished fourth in the league, celebrated as second-placed Western bowed out for the second straight year in the semi-final.

Grange, the Scottish Cup holders, also bowed out of the competition following a 4-0 defeat by Kelburne.

Meanwhile, Jo McGarvie fired two goals to take CALA Edinburgh through to the final of the Plate thanks to a 2-0 win over Western. They meet St Andrews University on Saturday.

Erskine Stewarts Melville, however, lost 4-1 to HighlandInveRoss.