GHK V EAST KILBRIDE RFC - March 8 2013 at Old Anniesland.



It was, as the Eagles once said, one of these nights. A powerful and in form East Kilbride rolled up at Old Anniesland on Friday for a rescheduled league fixture under the floodlights. A sizeable and boisterous crowd was entertained as straight from the kick off GHK set about the task of making full use of the wind advantage that they had in the first half.

You can tell when everyone is up for it and switched on and the initial signs from the home side suggested that they were fully focussed and ready for the job in hand. It was no great surprise when their positive endeavours were rewarded with barely five minutes on the clock when after a spell of pressure Minnie Mitchell plunged over for the first score of the night. Davie Reed was just wide with the conversion.
5-0 to GHK.

The strength of the East Kilbride team is their dynamic, close driving play and they got that going, established a bit of rhythm and took the game up to the GHK twenty two. A penalty attempt at goal was missed by East Kilbride and from the twenty two a home player was in front of the kicker. The referee deemed that to be a penalty offence as opposed to a scrum to the attacking side. The visitors took advantage of this ruling by kicking to the corner. From the lineout they took good possession and rumbled over for an unconverted try. All square at five-a-piece.

GHK were not put off their stride by this setback and got back to pressuring the visitors at every opportunity. When Gregg Woolard threaded a kick through in to the East Kilbride twenty two, the full back seemed to have the situation under control, until that is he was scragged by Mike Borthwick, who not only tackled him but relieved him of possession and drove over the line to put the home side back in the lead. The conversion attempt was wide of the posts. 10 – 5 to GHK.

As with the first GHK score, East Kilbride came back at the home side utilising that forceful driving and off-loading game that is their trademark. Fortunately GHK were in no mood to concede any territory cheaply and some serious hits were put in by the home defence. Forwards and backs were doing all that was necessary to repel the offensive efforts by the visitors. Having done the gritty stuff, when a break from midfield was taken on by Pete Ritchie, GHK switched seamlessly to attack mode. Pete found Gregor Hollerin with a composed pass, the wing forward still had a bit of ground to cover and defenders to overcome, but Hulk did what Hulk does and took the straightest of routes to the try line powering over for try number three for the home side. A great score that started out of resolute defence. Davie Reed added the extras. 17 – 5 to GHK after twenty five minutes. Gregg Woolard and Gordi Reid were replaced by Mike Aird and Adam Johnstone at this point in proceedings. The game was being played at high pace and intensity.

Going in to the last ten minutes of the half, Davie Reed added a penalty to give the home side a fifteen point lead that was entirely merited in terms of the territory, possession and attacking threat they had carried. However, out of nowhere, from what seemed like a combination of a ricochet/deflection/lucky bounce East Kilbride plundered seven points from a converted try when they found themselves in space with the home defence stretched. Fair play to the East Kilbride backs being in the right place at the right time and having the predatory skills to capitalise on their good fortune. In the lead up to this score, a massive collision between Pete Ritchie and his opposite number would have excited those of a vampire tendency – the blood spilled was of Quentin Tarantino proportions. But these lads are made of stern stuff and after a bit of first aid and Vaseline both returned right as rain.
Fraser McLeod gave Pete Ritchie a breather on the touchline whilst the repairs were performed.
Half time : GHK 20 East Kilbride 12

GHK kicked off the second half in to a forceful wind and when the first opportunity presented itself to East Kilbride to hoof the ball down field they did so. The kick was gathered by Callum Ruxton who clearly scented a chance to run the ball back. He skinned three defenders, drew the last man and put Scott Robertson in to the left hand corner. It was a cracking try and set down a marker to the visitors that GHK carried a threat all over the park. Davie Reed converted the try from way out left and in to the wind. A great start for GHK. 27 – 12.

From the restart, possession was secured again by the home side and off they went again punching holes in the East Kilbride defence with the prompting of Mike Aird the key to a lot of positive action from GHK. The visitors were starting to give away more than a few penalties but GHK were not able to add to their lead. Spurred on by a noisy support the visitors eventually got out of their own half and spent some time in the GHK twenty two. The home forwards and fringe defence were superb in snuffing out the threat posed by the large East Kilbride pack. The gain line was rarely if ever breached. However the East Kilbride scrum half was starting to stamp his authority on the game and was unlucky when his break down the stand side was called back for a foot in touch. Finally, the visitors were able to reduce the leeway by three points with a smartly taken drop goal with about ten minutes to go.

As has been the case virtually all season, and certainly in the last few games, going in to the latter stages of the match the GHK fitness levels started to tell and the remainder of the game was played deep in the East Kilbride half. The final score was left to Gordi Reid, well the home forwards really, as the hooker was driven over for a try from a lineout on the GHK right wing.

This was one of GHK’s best performances of the season. East Kilbride presented a fierce physical challenge and up front and beyond this was met head on. Forwards and backs put their bodies on the line for each other, the bloodied bandages of Captain Hoffman and Pete Ritchie bearing clear testament to that. There was not a weakness in the home squad. Robin Coates had a fine match on right wing, Mike Aird linked superbly with his pack and set the line loose when the time was right. Danny Hoffman put in some thumping tackles and bounced back to take the game to the opposition with ball in hand at every opportunity. The front row, indeed the GHK forwards, overcame their opponents and dominated a pack that had expected to control the forward exchanges.

It was a close call for man of the match, but for his try at a critical time and an all action eighty minutes Gregor Hollerin is my man of the match. The protein supplements are clearly working. Maybe the bufties should try a glass or two?
Nah, Hodgie’s pies will do well enough for us athletes. Bodies, temples, you know the story.

Seriously well done to the entire squad and coaching team. A great night out at OA.
This article was posted on 10-Mar-2013, 11:38 by Forbes Dunlop.

This article was posted on 10-Mar-2013, 11:57 by Hugh Barrow.