Tie of the night goes to the Club 2000 - Hustlers match-up. The Hustlers benefited from a week off last week, and will be rejuvenated knowing that the Entertainers lead over them has slipped to a potential six points. They face a tough challenge from Club 2000 who's decent run of form has saw them climb into the top half of the table, however a draw to the Tower last week has seen them in danger of losing touch with the teams above. The Hustlers ran out 9-5 winner last time round, and the Club will have their work cut out if they are to improve on that.

The Emeralds face a difficult away tie to the Murray, however they will take a huge confidence boost from the point gained against the Entertainers last week. The Murray played out a hard fought draw against local rivals Misfits last week and they'll be looking to get back to winning ways to continue their lofty league position.

In a reverse fixture from above, the other Greenhills and Murray teams will play out a closely matched tie when the Misfits take on Greenhills. Last time round it was an emphatic 11-3 to the 'hills, however since then Ian McLean has built a solid team and no doubt the match will be much more evenly balanced.

The high flying Top Guns welcome the Tower in what should be a good match. The Top Guns currently sit second and just four points off the top, while the Tower are currently in a battle for a top half position. Last time round it was a straightforward 10-4 victory for the Top Guns, however the Tower are improving week on week, and this one could be a lot closer.

The Entertainers will still be reeling from dropping more points last week in the Greenhills (five of their seven dropped points has come in the Greenhills), they visit again this week to face the Cuesters. They will be out to do some damage tonight and looking to prove a point in the venue. Cuesters, meanwhile, have lost six straight matches, however they will be hoping that lightning came strike thrice and cause more pain to the Entertainers.

Draw specialists Langlands will be hoping to get rid of the tag with a win tonight against bottom team Ospreys. The Ospreys suffered another agonising defeat last week to rivals EKCO, and are still searching for that elusive first win.

The Eagles host the Hunters hoping to close the seven point gap between the teams, while the Hunters will be looking to take advantage of teams playing above them and begin their accent in the league.

Full fixtures as follows:

Langlands - Ospreys
EKCO - Whitehills Aces
Greenhills - Murray Misfits
Murray - Greenhills Emeralds
Top Guns - Tower
Club 2000 - Hustlers
Cuesters - Entertainers
Eagles - Hunters

Tonight sees the official beginning of the second half of the season, and with everyone already having completed a full fixture card, we have a good insight into how the league will be looking come the end of the season.

Tie of the night tonight is a tough call, however the Murray derby looks to be shaping up as a great fixture. Both teams are riding high in the league and chasing for at least a top three finish. The Misfits currently trail their Murray rivals by six points, and a win is a must for them if they wish to keep up the chase. The face a difficult challenge in a Murray side who have lost just once in 12 matches.

The Entertainers face Marty Thom's Emeralds side in another match which has fireworks written all over it. The teams have built up a healthy rivalry over the season, and have been looking forward to this fixture for a number of weeks. After suffering their first loss two weeks ago, the Entertainers bounced back with a solid win over EKCO, and will be looking for a repeat of their victory over the Emeralds earlier on in the season. The Emeralds, meanwhile, have slipped to eleventh after dropping four straight matches, and they will know they need to up their game to compete with the league leaders.

The Tower welcome Club 2000 to an important match for both teams. They currently lie in 8th and 9th, with just a point separating them. When the teams met earlier, the Tower edged out a victory, however the Club have been on a great run and will be looking for some payback.

Top Guns travel to play the Cuesters looking to extend their four match winning streak and keep the pressure up on the Entertainers, while Cuesters will be hoping to compete as closely as they did on the opening day of the season, losing out in a marginal 8-6 defeat.

Greenhills travel to the Aces in a match difficult to choose a favourite in. The Aces are always strong at home, however the Greenhills have new life after their victory over the Entertainers, and will be looking upwards in the league.

Ospreys take on EKCO in a bottom of the table matchup. Both teams have failed to find much success so far this season, with the Ospreys still looking for their first win, and EKCO having only won once...on opening day, against the Ospreys. If any of these teams have hope to drive up the league, this is a must win game.

Fourth placed Salmon Leap take on the Eagles in thirteenth spot looking for some payback from opening day when the Eagles held them to a draw. Since then, the Leap have been consistent performers and find themselves in a healthy league position. The Eagles will be hoping lightning can strike twice as they desperately try to cling on to the coat tails of the pack above them.

The Hunters host Langlands with both teams hoping to improve on the 7-7 draw from last time around.

Full fixtures as follows:

Tower V Club 2000
Cuesters V Top Guns
Murray Misfits V Murray
Whitehills Aces V Greenhills
Ospreys V EKCO
Salmon Leap V Eagles
Hunters V Langlands
Entertainers V Greenhills Emeralds

Tonight's tie of the night is the Hustlers trip to the Tower. Stevie Kelly takes his team into one of the trickiest venues in the EKPL full of confidence from last week after a 12-2 win over the Cuesters saw the Hustlers close the gap on the league leaders to eight points. The Tower meanwhile, are having their best ever season and currently lie in 7th. They have put together an impressive run of matches, losing just once in seven matches (a close 8-6 defeat to the Entertainers). The Hustlers will have their tails up after the title race has opened up, however the defending champions know they can afford no slip ups here...easier said than done in the Tower.

Second placed Top Guns are now within six points of the Entertainers after last week, however they face a tough trip to an Emeralds team looking to regain their pride after a 12-2 humbling from Club 2000 last week. After suffering back to back losses a few weeks ago, the Top Guns have now won three on the spin, culminating with a fine win over the highly touted Misfits last week. This should be a great match, with both teams going all out for the win.

Elsewhere in the title race, the Entertainers complete their set of first half fixtures with a home tie against EKCO. A poor performance, coupled with good play from the Greenhills saw the 'tainers lose their first match since May, and with the defeat, their rivals have clawed themselves back into the race. A win is a must for them, and standing in their way is EKCO, who although showing improvement recently, are without a win in fourteen matches.

The Salmon Leap host Langlands in what should be a good match up. Langlands are just starting to find their feet in the league, and are now unbeaten this year. They will travel to face the Salmon Leap, who, with a rich vein of form with just one loss in ten, have propelled themselves up to fourth spot.

Greenhills will be looking to finish off this set of fixtures with a victory over the Ospreys, after a great performance saw them inflict the Entertainers first defeat last week. The Ospreys are still looking for that elusive first win which keeps them rooted to the base of the table.

Fifth placed Murray face a tricky away tie to the Aces looking to keep hot on the heels of the teams involved in the title race. The Aces haven't won since their surprise victory over the Hustlers, but they will be keen to put that right tonight and begin moving up the table again.

The Misfits take on the Hunters looking to bounce back after their rapid ascent up the table was halted for the first time in weeks with a defeat at the hands of the Top Guns. The Hunters find themselves at the bottom of the "mid table pack", and will be looking to heap more misery on Ian McLean's team and begin leap frogging some teams.

Last but not least, Club 2000 will be looking to pick up where they left off from last week with another win against Cuesters. The Club boys have had an up and down start to the season, but a win tonight should keep them on track for a high placed finish. Meanwhile, the Cuesters will be hoping to snap a four match losing streak which sees them occupying fifteenth spot.

Full fixtures as follows:

Salmon Leap - Langlands
Entertainers - EKCO
Ospreys - Greenhills
Whitehills Aces - Murray
Murray Misfits - Hunters
Greenhills Emeralds - Top Guns
Cuesters - Club 2000
Tower - Hustlers

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Tie of the night tonight sees second placed Top Guns taking on the fast rising Murray Misfits. The Misfits have been on a tear recently, and have been bolstered by the signings of three of Scotland's top players in Pat Holtz, Scott Gillespie and Jamie Burnett. This recent form has seen them losing just one match in nine, and includes a draw with the Entertainers, and a victory over the Hustlers. It would take a massive points swing for the Misfits to challenge for the league this year, however sitting just seven points behind the Top Guns, they will no doubt fancy that second place is achievable. The Top Guns themselves are having a rich seasons, and are the chief challengers in the title race, sitting nine points behind the Entertainers. After losing back to back games before Christmas, they have started the new year brightly with two wins, and will be looking for a win to keep up the pressure on the Entertainers. This should be a great game, however the result may come down to what names are on the team sheet for the Misfits.

In another competitive match, league leaders the Entertainers travel to Greenhills to face Mick Dunn's side. The 'tainers have put together an impressive run of results so far this season, only dropping points to the Misfits. They currently lie undefeated so far this season, albeit by the skin of their teeth in some games in recent weeks. They returned to form with a bang last week, defeating a tough Murray team 11-3 with some impressive pool being played in the process. They face a tricky away tie to the Greenhills who have failed to find any real consistency so far this season. Despite this, they find right in themselves right in the mix for a top five finish. Greenhills is a hard venue to travel to, however this match may hinge on if the Entertainers can pick up where they left off last week or not.

Elsewhere, Club 2000 host the Emeralds in a match important for both teams trying to keep up with the pack. Just one point separates the sides, and with both teams failing to win in their last two fixtures, the pressure will be on both sides to produce the goods.

The Hustlers will be hoping the Misfits do them a favour this week allowing them to leap frog into second place if they can beat the Cuesters. John Burn's team is steadily improving and they may be looking for a good performance in this match, rather than points.

Elsewhere, the Hunters and the Aces will play out another closely fought tie. Like the Club/Emeralds match, both teams are at the bottom end of the pack, and a victory for either side is essential to try and keep up the chase.

Fresh off the back of their first ever win the EKPL, Langlands will be full of confidence going into their match with the Eagles. The Eagles themselves are coming off a hard fought draw against EKCO and will be looking to improve that result tonight.

The Salmon leap travel to ECKO looking for a win to take advantage of teams around them facing off, while EKCO will be hoping to gain their first win since the first day of the season.

Last but not least, the Murray take on bottom team Ospreys. The Murray will be looking to bounce back with a solid win tonight after suffering their first loss in ten games last week. The always vocal Ospreys will be hoping that this is finally the week they can break their duck, however there are not many harder away venues to travel to looking for a win than the Murray.

Full fixtures as follows:

Hustlers - Cuesters
Club 2000 - Greenhills Emeralds
Top Guns - Murray Misfits
Hunters - Whitehills Aces
Murray - Ospreys
Greenhills - Entertainers
EKCO - Salmon Leap
Langlands - Eagles