Inverleith draw Jaguars’ claws to edge towards final

INVERLEITH are creeping closer to a place in today’s final of the Grove Menzieshill Invitational Indoor hockey tournament at DISC in Dundee with a 5-2 victory over Highland Jaguars.

The scoreline may have been close but the Edinburgh side well were worth their win.

However, it was an inauspicious start for Stuart Neave’s men as the Jaguars clawed their way into an early two-goal lead, Iain Scholefield notched the opener while Adam Mackenzie, ironically an Inverleith player in Scotland colours, scored the second from the spot. Not long after Stephen Dick pulled one back for the Scottish champions, and by the interval they were 3-2 ahead, courtesy of two strikes in as many minutes by Chris Grassick. The opening four minutes of the second half did not go at all well for the Edinburgh side, goalkeeper Allan Dick was forced into two spellbinding saves and Grassick missed from the spot. However, in the closing minutes Inverleith sealed the result, Derek Salmond scored the fourth and Grassick sank a penalty corner for 5-2.

Jaguars moved into contention for the other place in the final with earlier back-to-back wins over Grove Menzieshill and Wales. In the former encounter, Mackenzie and Scholefield both scored twice and Chris Wilson got the other for a comfortable 5-0 win. Mackenzie stole the points against Wales with a winner two minutes from time for a 3-2 result.

Caledonian Cougars also saw off the Welsh 8-2, Willie Marshall’s hat-trick and two from Gavin Byers were the highlights, Michael Ross, Gareth Hall and Alan Forsyth got the others.

Scotland’s women are also be marching towards a final place – the hard way. The encounter with a Vikki Bunce-reinforced VWS Dundee Wanderers, Subway national league champions, was always a potential banana skin, and so it turned out to be as Gordon Shepherd’s charges only emerged 5-4 winners with Bunce netting a hat-trick for Wanderers.

Shepherd’s side next match with the Capercaillies, Scotland’s Under-21 side, almost ended in blushes, the scores were tied at 2-2 as the final whistle sounded. But the senior squad were awarded an overtime penalty corner, Kidd’s initial shot was saved by keeper Nikki Cochrane, only for Scotland captain Kat Cameron to stroke home the rebound.

In Scotland’s final game it was all a bit of a struggle against Wales and Brodie finally found the target with just 15 seconds left in the first half. The goals flowed more freely after the interval, Brodie completed her hat-trick with another two along with Kidd from a penalty corner and Morag McLellan.

Wanderers kept their final hopes alive with a 8-1 crushing of the Capercaillies. Fiona Bruce gave the Scots youngsters an early lead from the spot, but that opened the floodgates, Vikki Bunce picked up another couple, Sam Sangster scored a hat-trick of penalty corners and the other strikes came from Julie Bryce, Amy Rowan and Ashleigh Bunce.