Scottish Premiership Men: Watsonians v Western Wildcats Headlines a Six-Game Saturday

Saturday in Scotland has a top-three fight at the top of the bill, and it isn’t the champions.

Western Wildcats are top of the Premiership and playing like it, six goals past Grove Menzieshill last weekend with the Moran brothers scoring four of them. This Saturday they go to Watsonians (13:30), the side in third with a game in hand and the league’s most marked man: Charlie Jack has scored three hat-tricks in a row, all three goals in last week’s 3-1 win over Clydesdale. League leaders away to the form striker in Scotland. That’s the game.

The champions have a point to prove

Edinburgh University, the defending champions, host ESM Lions at 13:00 still annoyed with themselves. They had most of the play against Uddingston last week, led through Sam Hunt’s corner, and still let it slip to 1-1, then couldn’t convert a re-awarded corner after the hooter. ESM, who beat Kelburne 2-0 and keep climbing quietly, are exactly the kind of visitors who punish a side feeling sorry for itself.

Uddingston, the other unbeaten story of the season, go to Grange (13:00). Grange’s 3-3 draw with Hillhead last week was their first point of the season, earned twice from behind on corners. Uddy’s defence, which held the champions out at the death, will expect a quieter afternoon. They rarely get one at Grange.

The rest of Saturday

Clydesdale v Inverleith (14:30) pairs two sides who need the points for the top-six race: Clydesdale are hanging on to a top-six place after the Watsonians defeat, Inverleith arrive off a 4-1 win at Dunfermline. Grove Menzieshill v Hillhead (15:30) is a recovery job for both, Grove after the Wildcats rout and Hillhead after drawing a game they led 3-2 late. Kelburne v Dunfermline Carnegie (17:00) closes the day, two sides beaten last week and already looking at the wrong half of the table.

Six games, three of them shaping the title race by tea time. Scottish hockey’s doing just fine.

Saturday 24 October (BST): Edinburgh University v ESM 13:00; Grange v Uddingston 13:00; Watsonians v Western Wildcats 13:30; Clydesdale v Inverleith 14:30; Grove Menzieshill v Hillhead 15:30; Kelburne v Dunfermline Carnegie 17:00.

Before Saturday, the Wildcats play in Europe tonight — see the EHL opening round in Eindhoven — and last week’s Scottish Premiership results explain the form lines.