Hockey: Grange keep up pressure for European qualification place

The 19-year-old passed a late fitness test on a dead leg and his searing pace left Inverleith floundering in a 4-0 win.

Grange now have 33 points from 15 games and their tenth win leaves them four points ahead of Inverleith in the race for second spot and Europe next season. The Division One crown is beyond them as Kelburne wrapped up their eighth title yesterday thanks to a victory at Peffermill over Edinburgh University which took the Bellahouston men to an unassailable 45 points.

Struggling CALA Edinburgh are next up for Grange on Saturday.

Inverleith had to settle for one point from the weekend following a 3-3 draw at improving Grove Menzieshill yesterday with Andrew Sinclair netting a single and set-piece specialist Adam Mackenzie a double from penalty corners. Gavin Tomlinson netted the equaliser two minutes from time.

Edinburgh University failed to pick up any points for the second weekend running. A 4-0 capitulation at Grove Menzieshill on Saturday was followed by yesterday’s 6-1 home reverse to Kelburne where Johnny Christie netted four goals. CALA, meanwhile, had no answer to free-scoring Kelburne on Saturday in Glasgow where international goalkeeper Mark Fulton had only two saves to make as Kelburne strolled to a 6-0 half-time lead and then cruised to a 13-0 final score.

In-form Scottish internationalist Alan Forsyth and his strike partner Johnny Christie maintained their prolific goal ratio as they ran Edinburgh ragged.

Forsyth claimed four goals and Christie three in the rout.