The second weekend of the West District season delivered plenty of goals, a few surprised and even one of hockey’s rarest sights – a goalless draw.
Division 1
Clydesdale 4th XI made the biggest statement of the weekend, moving to the top of the division 1 table with a convincing 6-0 victory over Helensburgh. James Barr led the way with a hat-trick as the Titwood side continued their strong start to the campaign.
Giffnock followed up last week’s win with another narrow success, edging out Uddingston 3rd XI 2-1 to maintain their perfect start to the season.
There was another high-scoring afternoon for Rottenrow, who found the ned three times for the second consecutive weekend. This time it was Hillhead 5th XI who were on the receiving end, although Hillhead also got on the scoresheet in an entertaining 4-3 encounter.
Defending champions Western 3rd XI were pushed all the way by Kelburne 2nd XI, eventually securing a hard fought 3-2 victory, while Clydesdale 3rd XI opened their season with a solid 3-1 win.
Division 2
Ayr’s return to league action ended in disappointment as a red card hampered their efforts against Kelburne 3rd XI. A Roddy Macallum double helped Kelburne to a 3-1 victory and an important three points.
One of the weekend’s most eye-catching results came at the National Hockey Centre where Clydesdale 5th were held to a 0-0 draw by Rottenrow 2nd XI. The result ended Clydesdale’s remarkable run of league victories stretching back two season and showed just how competitive Division 2 could be this year.
Elsewhere, Hillhead 6th XI and GHK could not be separated at Balgray, sharing the points, while Uddingston 4th XI made an impressive start to their campaign with a 4-0 victory.
Division 3
Goals weren’t in short supply in Division 3, even though both matches ended level.
Giffnock 2nd XI and Hillhead 8th XI played out a 1-1 draw in a closely contested encounter.
The drama came at Titwood, where Ross Furmedge scored a hat-trick for Clydesdale 6th XI in a thrilling 4-4 draw with Dumfries 2nd XI. Neither side could find a winner in a match that swung back and forth throughout, providing one of the most entertaining contests of the weekend.
With only two rounds played, there is already plenty taking shape across the divisions, and the early-season battles are beginning to emerge.
