Match Report – Saturday 1st November – Gents 1s

Uddingston 3 – Watsonians 1

Watsonians have been the rising stars of Scottish hockey in recent years, winning the Scottish Cup in 2023-24, a European place last season while, in 2025, they sit atop the league, unbeaten. Only the hardiest of Uddingston fans would have been truly confident that a team, strengthened in the off-season by the prolific and talented goal scorer Charlie Jack, could be unseated on their own patch.

But unseated they were in what was, without question, Uddingston’s finest display of hockey for many years.

Watsons were not only defeated, they were dominated. They certainly had their chances throughout the game with penalty corners in the double figures and with some penetrating balls into the D. But Uddingston were resolute, efficient, purposeful and countered with venom and fluidity.

When Watsons went into a high, aggressive press, Sean Baker and Jedd Campbell lobbed overheads into the midfield where they were picked up by a lively and determined group including the Gardiner brothers, Angus Millar, Anup Valmiki and Angus Sinclair.

When Watsons attacked, Uddingston’s tight central structure pushed them out wide. This limited circle entries to the occasional baseline drive or top of the D scramble, mostly repelled with relative ease. As the game progressed and Watsons gradually fell behind by a goal in each of the first three quarters, you could just see the frustration and confusion building on their faces.

It may be, looking back, that Watsons will argue they had an off game or weren’t at their best. Perhaps they had grown over-confident after seven wins on the trot, including against serious rivals Edinburgh University last week. But that would be downplaying a compelling Uddingston performance in which the top team in the land was humbled by a superior strategy and by a team playing together like their lives depended on it.

It is wonderful to have Glenn Turner in the Uddy ranks, not only for his gorgeous stick skills but also as a coach for the clearly improving front line. The first goal was scored in the first quarter by Turner himself, his maiden strike for Uddy, after only minutes earlier flicking the ball off the bewildered keeper’s face visor.

The second goal came from a short, well-timed, sumptuous Turner lob over the backline and into the path of Max Strachan who was rugby tackled at top D for a penalty stroke. Up stepped Uddy’s stroke man, Finn Halliday. In the last match against ESM, Halliday had made a poor effort at a stroke which might have won Uddy the match. So, there was additional pressure on Uddy’s big upfront man.

But Halliday did what Halliday does and rocketed the ball past a sprawling Watsons keeper for 2-0.

How did you find the standard of the game, Turner was asked at the end. “Good. Too good for me mate, I’m getting old”, he replied, a smile on his face.

It would be hard to pick out Uddingston’s outstanding player on this memorable Saturday afternoon in Edinburgh as this was truly a team effort. Every single player from keeper to the front line made significant contributions which impacted on the tone and outcome of the game.

Perhaps the most spectacular moment was Angus Sinclair’s stunning, top D tomahawk into the side netting for 3-0. Sinclair had a storming game and this champagne moment was marked by a full-length Watsons keeper Craig Yelland diving helplessly, and just a fraction too late, as Sinclair’s shot soared past.

Watsons are certainly a team laden with talent. They were physical, skilful and confident. At the heart of the midfield, hugely experienced Scotland international Duncan Riddell was a constant presence, disrupting Uddy attacks with finely-timed tackles and pushing Watsons up the pitch. But even Riddell, who has 73 caps for Scotland and played in two Commonwealth Games, began to fade. After half-time, with his team down 2-0, his influence waned.

The much vaunted Watsons striker Charlie Jack had a whole series of penalty corners in which to impress, but each time, he was run down, managed and blocked by Uddy’s efficient defence. Each time apart from one, that is, in the fourth quarter.

Jack’s first effort was well-blocked by the first runner, only for the ball to deflect gently into a vast circle of space at the top D. Needing no second invitation, Jack hit a powerful reverse stick strike that may have still been rising on Sunday morning if the net hadn’t got in the way to bring back Watsons to 3-1.

But for all their energy and bustle, that was all top-of-the-league Watsons could manage on their home pitch in front of their own, increasingly sullen fans.

Uddy shut things down in the last quarter, dropped into a half court defence, and waited out the clock.

This was a glorious win for Uddingston. If ever there was a signal that this team is ready to compete and win at the highest level, this was it. Scottish hockey be warned! This Uddy team means business and, sitting at fourth in the league and with a top six place already secured, are ready and willing to take on the best the league has to offer.

Uddy have a mid-week game against Inverleith on Thursday night, a tricky prospect after such a resounding, iconic victory. Then it’s Edinburgh University next Saturday in what could be a season-defining match. In the meantime, the team will undoubtedly celebrate one of the club’s finest moments with enthusiasm and optimism. What a win! Get in there.

– Adrian Hadland

We stream our Saturday games live on our dedicated YouTube channel, UddyTV. Make sure you check out the latest game here – Uddy Hockey YouTube. 

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