Steady Adamson has the last word to get Hawks back on track
AYR 6-8 GLASGOW HAWKS
DON BLAIN
AT MILLBRAE
IT CERTAINLY wasn't Glasgow Hawks' prettiest victory on their charge towards a third BT Premiership crown on the trot, but for coach Davie Wilson it was probably the most satisfying.

In the wake of the previous weekend's home lapse to Watsonians, a win of any variety would have been welcome but the nature of the success, achieved with a stoppage time penalty by Mike Adamson made victory all the sweeter.


"It was a really keenly fought contest and the most pleasing factor was that our forwards stepped up and physically matched Ayr's huge pack," Wilson said. "To come down to a place like this and produce a performance of such intensity in front of a vociferous crowd was tremendous - night and day to what happened in the Watsonians match.

"After that loss, we knew we had to come out and play with passion and desire and we showed both.

"Any questions about complacency have been answered. It was tight all the way, but I always thought that if we could keep up the pressure it was only a matter of time before we got a penalty."

To add to Ayr coach Craig Redpath's frustrations, he saw Glasgow pro winger Mike Roberts ordered off for a double-yellow, while forward Ewan Logan faces a long spell on the sidelines after breaking a wrist.

"We had chances to kill them off but didn't take them," he said. "You can see why Hawks are the side they are because they hung on in there and eventually got the break. That is why they are champions - they grind out results. It would have been good for the league if we had won, but now it is cut and dried.

"There wasn't a lot of good rugby, but it was a tough tussle. It was disappointing to effectively have to play half the game with 14 men. The sending-off was just stupidity. Mike got up and retaliated and he knows he did something wrong. I do, however, have a quibble about his first yellow card. It is the first time I have seen a guy binned for holding on too long when he is in attack. Fair enough if you are on your own line, but not 40 yards from the opposition line and going forward."

The hosts had taken command during the opening quarter but were unable to turn their territorial superiority into quick tries and had to rely on the boot of James Noonan to edge them in front with a 45metre penalty following a powerful break by Roberts. Noonan increased that advantage with a kick in front of the uprights after the Hawks defenders were strayed offside.

That seemed to jolt the champions and they rallied to snatch the initiative before the break. Clever work involving Ally MacLay and Adamson created the time and space for Colin Shaw to reach the line after a loose Ayr clearance.

Adamson missed the conversion but bounced back to snatch the glory with a pinpoint strike in added time.

Scorers: Ayr: Pen: Noonan. Glasgow Hawks: Try: Shaw. Pen: Adamson.

Ayr: J McLung; E McLaughlan, P Nicol, N Lavelle, M Roberts; J Noonan, AJ McFarlane; A Kelly, S Fenwick, E Logan, S Lines, D Kelly, J Eddie, E Kellow, G Tippett. Subs used: S Kerr, S Adair, P Burke, C Taylor.

Glasgow Hawks: C Shaw; A Maclay, S Smith, S Duffy, I Kennedy; M Adamson, S Biggart; E Milligan, G MacFadyen, S Warnock, R Maxton, G Francis, N McKenzie, M Sitch. Subs used: G Mories, S Begley, P Dearlove, R McKnight.

Referee: P Allan.

This article was posted on 19-Dec-2005, 08:53 by Hugh Barrow.