Hockey: CALA hope that Bell’s goals can take their toll on Grange

RAMSAY BELL’S recent purple goalscoring patch came to an abrupt end last weekend, but the CALA Edinburgh frontman is eyeing tomorrow’s hockey clash with Grange as a platform to bounce back.

Bell’s goals have helped Edinburgh rise to sixth place in ten-strong Division One.

Tomorrow’s opponents are third, five points behind early pace-setters Kelburne and two adrift of second-placed Inverleith. Both teams come into the game on the back of defeats. Edinburgh were swept aside 9-0 at home to Kelburne last Saturday while Grange were edged 2-1 by Inverleith, their first defeat of the season.

Bell prefers to remain positive following the defeat by the defending champions and he said: “We competed with them for 35 minutes.

“The scoreline read 4-0 at the break, but it was a lot closer than that. They took their chances.

“Let’s face it. They (Kelburne) are the best team in Scotland and have been for years. We’re new to Division One.

“We’re getting there as a club. We have to get used to playing top clubs and competing for 70 minutes, not in spells.”

The match-up is one of two key league games at Peffermill tomorrow as Inverleith entertain Scottish Cup holders Western.

Steve McCurry, Inverleith’s coach, said: “We beat Grange last weekend because I felt we were the fitter side and stuck to our structure.

“We won despite several guys carrying injuries. Hopefully, they will have cleared.”

Elsewhere, fourth-placed Edinburgh University travel to Kelburne minus Olympian Graham Moodie, who has hamstring problems.

In Division Two, Watsonians travel to Fakirk while Waverley Inveresk Trinity entertain Granite City at Bangholm.