Match Report – Sunday 15th March – Gents 1s

Uddingston 1 – Edinburgh University 2

The Top Six phase of the 2025/6 season began at home on Saturday with Uddingston Mens’ 1s suffering a narrow defeat at the hands of Edinburgh University.

With less than two minutes to go, the teams were locked at 1-1 after a ding-dong battle in which there was very little between them.

But league top-scorer and Scotland international Jamie Golden, fresh from terrorising defenders in the World Cup qualifiers in Chile last week, converted a penalty corner in the dying minutes to steal the win.

Edinburgh Uni have had a very strong season, losing only to Watsonians and drawing with Western Wildcats, and many might have expected a relatively easy ride against Uddingston at Bothwell Castle in this Top Six match-up.

But Uddingston came out fighting from the start and had the Uni team under pressure for much of the game.

Edinburgh Uni were very well organised and extremely fit, the whole team moving seamlessly from attack to defence. It seemed every time an Uddy player picked up the ball, no matter where they were, the entire Uni squad were between them and the goal. This made circle entries difficult, and there were few and far opportunities for the men in blue and yellow for most of the first half.

A first-quarter penalty corner for Edinburgh Uni led inevitably to the first goal. However, it was to Uddy’s credit that only three penalty corners were awarded against them in the entire match.

Uni captain Jamie Croll injected the ball with speed to Rory Steedman, who stopped the ball dead. Up stepped Golden, firing the ball past the postman and into the side netting for 1-0.

Uddy didn’t give up, though, and fought hard to get back into the match. The game swung from end to end in what was a skilfully impressive display of competitive hockey. This was possibly Uddy’s best game of the season. The passing was slick, the defence rock solid, aerial balls were deft and precise, and the team played with energy and commitment.

In what was a tense affair, not a single card was handed out to either team, a testimony to both squads’ discipline.

Angus Sinclair, newly taken up into the Scotland senior mens’ squad, had an outstanding man-of-the-match game. Passing with precision and defending with tenacity, he was a constant menace to Uni. He was well supported by Anup Valmiki and by GB under-21 call-up Angus Millar.

It was brilliant to see Australian hockey icon Glenn Turner back in action, supported enthusiastically by his family from the touchline and weaving his magic.

Uddy’s most dangerous moments came when Turner was on the ball in the opponent’s D, and it was his work which led in the second half to the awarding of a penalty flick after some clumsy away team defending.

It was Finn Halliday time. Playing his best game of the season. Uddy’s go-to penalty flick man barely hesitated before sweeping the ball past a stranded Matty Taylor in the Uni goal for 1-1. Never in doubt.

The Uddy defence, led by Jedd Campbell, was extremely well-organised and hardly allowed a shot on goal in the entire match. Uni occasionally worked its way into the circle, and with sticks flying and the ball ricocheting in the dirty zone, Uddy goalie Nic Hadland cleared things away efficiently and quickly.

Hadland made several fine saves, including one dangerous strike he kicked away with his left leg-guard, and was a solid, reassuring presence to his back line throughout the game.

But with only two minutes to go, after a closely contested game which swung from one side of the pitch to the other, Edinburgh Uni were awarded a highly contentious penalty corner. The Uddy team stared in disbelief at the decision, and rightly so.

But the penalty corner had been awarded, and Golden moved ominously into position. He drag-flicked the ball with such ferocity that the Uddy net bulged in an instant, and the game was gone.

The home team played a fantastic game, however, and should be proud of their efforts. The team was cohesive, determined and skilful. If it hadn’t been for an errant final pass or two, a last-gasp save from a Max Strachan strike, or some poor refereeing decisions, this could and should have been a very positive final result.

All is not lost, however, as Uddy remain two points above ESM in fourth spot with four games to go. ESM surprisingly drew 3-3 with Watsonians earlier in the day and will be no pushover away next weekend.

The game against ESM on Saturday is a critical one in Uddy’s season: win, and be a hair’s breadth from making the European playoffs, lose and it will take an almighty effort to stay in the frame as the season winds to an end.

The way Uddy played against Edinburgh Uni, the European playoffs beckon!

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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