Date: Wednesday, 26th September 2007
Kickoff time: 15:00
Against: Dundee HSFP
Team: Hawks 1st XV
Location: Home
Competition: Premiership Division 1
Final score: 19 - 20 (lost)

The early season jitters of Glasgow Hawks were again underlined when they were edged out by Dundee HSFP in a Hydro Electric Division One clash at Old Anniesland. Allan Hay and Ross Lemon were the Taysiders' try heroes, with Barry Jones adding the remainder of the points. The Hawks reply was restricted to a penalty try along with a string of kicks by Mike Adamson. Glasgow Hawks v Dundee Close this window Posted 30 September 2007 by Dave There was a minutes silence in memory of Yusef Akubaker before Glasgow Hawks kicked off with the breeze at their backs at Old Anniesland for this eighth meeting between the sides. Dundee had never won against their Glasgow rivals since their formation in the mid-1990s and with two below-par performances in previous weeks, urgently needed a good result to restore confidence. Traffic delays had resulted in Dundee arriving late forcing them to shorten their warm-up despite kick-off being delayed by fifteen minutes. Nonetheless it was a determined Dundee that secured the KO and turned over Hawks’ first two forays. Dundee’s defence laid out their stall with some good stops forcing the Glasgow side to repeatedly resort to kicking for territory. From one such hit Allan Hay scooped up a spilled ball and burst into space from half-way but the ref called him back for an earlier Dundee knock-on. An attacking line-out in the Dundee 22 earned a kickable penalty and Hawks were 3 – 0 up. The ref, who had a mixed afternoon, missed a Hawks’ knock-on and the Glasgow side gained the Dundee 22 and another penalty to double their lead. But the lead was short-lived as Dundee pressed from the restart. Alan Brown disrupted Hawk’s line-out ball and George Oommen pounced on the loose ball to win possession that sent Graham Thomson surging into the 22. Keeping pressure on, the ball was shipped out from a Dundee scrum and Allan Hay found himself in acres of space for Dundee’s opening try. Barry Jones bagged the conversion. Dundee seemed unable to do much right in the eyes of the ref and as the penalty count mounted one-sidedly Hawks edged back in front from their third success with the boot. Half-time Glasgow Hawks 9, Dundee 7 Hawks had looked unable to deal with Dundee’s defence, The pack was voracious at the breakdown and the midfield seemed impregnable. Dundee started the second half determined to get an early score but found a stubborn Hawks defence frustrating them in the 22. Dundee battled to turn-over Hawks ball and keep the game in Glasgow territory. Barnstorming breaks by Richie Hawkins and Dave Mason couldn’t breach the defence and when Dundee nudged the ball over the defence it bounced too far. But it had glanced off a Hawks hand and Dundee had an attacking scrum. The ball sped out along the backs and Ross Lemon came off his wing at pace to batter through tackles from 15 yards out to score Dundee’s second. Barry’s conversion put Dundee 14 – 9 ahead. A Hawks penalty reduced the deficit almost immediately. Dundee’s pressure on Hawks ball had forced errors all afternoon and going into the final quarter Dundee were looking to close out the game. Barry replied with a long range penalty of his own after good work from Richie Hawkins and Alan Brown, who was intriguingly now packing down at number 8 and looking the part! But with about 10 minutes to go Hawks started to cause the Dundee defence problems for the first time in the game. Gaining the Dundee 22 from some pacy dynamic rugby, Hawks chose to tap and drive two penalties close to the Dundee line. Dundee held out, but illegally according to the ref and were reduced to 14 men. Scenting their chance Hawks repeatedly scrummaged penalties and were rewarded with a penalty try to edge them back in front again, 19 – 17 Dundee defended hard as Hawks looked to kill them off, Stephan Dreyer, Geo, Neil Dymock, Andy Fisher, Alan Dymock and the pack all digging deep. The 7-man Dundee scrum turned the Hawks eight in the 22 earning a penalty and the pressure was relieved. From the line-out in the Dundee half Richie took it on. Ross Lemon then Dave Mason continued the move to half-way winning a penalty out wide just a couple of metres into the Hawks 10. Barry kept his cool and stroked the ball high between the posts to put Dundee back in front. Hawks tried but couldn’t come back and the whistle blew for a famous and much needed Dundee win. Full-time Glasgow Hawks 19, Dundee 20 Team list for this match Grant Strang

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