The almost inevitable slump of one of the early pacesetters means the sides favoured to contest promotion in pre-season are on the charge in BT National League One.
GHA’s loss at Jed-Forest ended their outstanding start to the season and now Dundee HSFP are just one match win behind them in third, leading the chase of the Southsiders and the still-unbeaten league leaders Selkirk.
The top two meet this week at Braidholm so whatever happens the carrot is there for the pursuers, and High have a trip to Peebles to take on the side Selkirk coach Peter Wright left behind.
High won home and away in their fixtures last season with a resounding 40-10 victory at the Gytes, and Peebles have been a touch inconsistent so far this year.
High finally put away bottom side Hilhead Jordanhill at Hughenden last week but it needed a 22-point final quarter to make the scoreline look as comfortable as it was. Ross Lemon scored another try and had an assist, and his experience has been hugely beneficial to the young High backline in the last couple of games.
The fixtures schedule coming up for Colin Robertson’s men has three matches against the teams that were supposed to be the main promotion challengers; Watsonians, Stewarts Melville and Aberdeen Grammar.
Cartha’s surprise win over Howe of Fife in Glasgow last week was the surprise of BT National League Two, and for Howe it was even more frustrating as they had the match seemingly under control with a good lead at half-time.
It shows that no fixture is a gimme in this division, and should concentrate the mind for the visit of Ardrossan Accies to Duffus Park this week. Recent bitter experience shows that slip-ups have to be minimised in if promotion is to be gained and Falkirk are well positioned now on the same points by trailing on points differential.
Kirkcaldy host the second placed side at Beveridge Park after a loss at Ardrossan last week when the club were decimated by centre Iain Gillies wedding celebrations. A hugely inexperienced side did reasonably well to stay within touch and only just missed out on a losing bonus point.
The Blues should ne back to full complement to try and throw a spanner in the works of Falkirk, who crushed Livingston at home last week.
It’s almost crunch time for Dunfermline in National League Three as they need to take something from fellow strugglers Murrayfield Wanderers if they are not to be cut adrift at the bottom of the table. Last week’s performance at home to East Kilbride was a marked improvement but they still failed to register even a losing bonus and are point-less from six games.
Perthshire were in the end well beaten by the impressive runaway league leaders Dumfries and while there’s an opportunity to bounce back against strugglers Hawick YM, the Borderers are a much tougher proposition on their home patch.
There’s no action for Caledonia League One teams this week while League Two and Three sides contest the Bowl’s regional quarter-finals. Harris, now well out in front in Division Two with Richie McIver back in their ranks, are strong favourites with Alloa at Elliot Road, a team the Dundee side have already beaten away in the league.