Hockey round-up: Students push Grange hard as Watsonians record a welcome victory

Edinburgh University assistant coach David Reid praised his hard-working squad after their narrow defeat at defending Division One hockey champions, Grange.

Dan Coultas opened the scoring for Grange

The students trailed 3-0 at Fettes College just after the break despite competing well in an entertaining game.

They had as many circle penetrations and chances as Grange but failed to convert them until late on.

Dan Coultas claimed two penalty corner goals as Grange took another significant step towards a second successive league title.

Earlier, Alan Johnston bundled the ball over the line from close range to open the scoring after ten minutes.

The second arrived two minutes later when Coultas fired the ball home from Grange’s first penalty corner award of the game.

And he sent the ball high into the net three minutes into the second period from another set-piece but the students recovered well from that early setback.

They pressed hard and were rewarded after 18 minutes as Ben Pearson deflected the ball home following their third penalty corner during a period of sustained pressure.

And Jack Jamieson scored after 25 minutes, collecting the ball and firing home on the turn from the left side of the D with Grange down to ten men as captain Cammy Fraser had been carded for dissent.

Reid said: “The guys played really well and recovered well at being 3-0 down. They worked really hard.”

Meanwhile, Watsonians recorded a welcome 2-1 win over Kelburne thanks to a double from Gus Fraser Harris.

The Edinburgh side led 1-0 at the break and coach Mike Leonard said: “It was a good win for us but we can play a lot better.”