Courageous Currie again humble Hawks with cup victory

CURRIE 25 - 14 GLASGOW

SANDY STRANG
AT MALLENY PARK


CURRIE 25

GLASGOW HAWKS 14


ALL hail Currie! Who says Malleny Park lightening doesn't strike twice? Courageous Currie, unequivocally committed, managed to add second-half inspiration to earlier perspiration to inflict a second successive cup defeat on their mighty opponents following last year's last-gasp 24-19 shock.

Effort, work-rate, resilience, determination - these were Currie's watchwords as a four-try burst in the second half further exposed faltering Hawks' fallibility.

"We played really well today," enthused an exultant Currie coach, Ally Donaldson. "It was a massively physical game, but I think we thoroughly deserved to win today. Four tries to one was a fair reflection, and hopefully this win will give the lads renewed confidence for the crucial League - and now Cup! - games ahead. Who knows? May be we can go all the way to Murrayfield now?!"

A vast gap of 36 points and eight Premiership places currently separates the sides in the league but relegation-haunted Currie were buoyed up by last week's stalwart showing against second-placed Watsonians where they unluckily succumbed by a single point.

Hawks, meanwhile, in an effort to get back on track after an alarmingly stuttering spell notwithstanding last week's win, made three changes from their starting line up, with Kenny Baillie coming in for Mike Adamson at full back, former Currie scrum half, Iain Monaghan, making his first start of the season and Scott Forrest beginning at no eight for Mark Sitch who was on the bench.

Both sides missed excellent kickable opportunities to open the scoring in the early minutes. Hawks' Murray Strang, resuming kicking duties for the absent Adamson, failed from 30 yards, before his opposite number Donovan Raw twice erred. Raw was then immediately replaced by Mike Ker who made a similarly inauspicious start, stroking past the left upright from 25 yards.

Eventually after 25 minutes the scoreboard creeped forward as Strang found his sights and slotted over from 30 metres before replicating four minutes later to give Hawks a six point lead on the half hour.

It was a scrappy, disjointed affair in which neither side could find any fluency, with an electrifying burst through the middle by Currie full back, Dougie Flockhart, being the only morsel of enterprising rugby of note, before Currie narrowed the leeway on 33 minutes with a Ker penalty only for Strang's third penalty to restore their margin.

Referee Rupert Henderson wasn't enjoying the best of days either, incurring the especial wrath of the home faithful for his fussy ways, but at least his half time whistle brought some temporary respite to all with Hawks still 9-3 up.

The second half saw a total transformation. Firstly, quicksilver, right winger, Geoff Caldwell, celebrated his return from Melrose by powering his way fully 40 yards diagonally to touch down in the right corner after a splendid break from impressive No.8 Ross Weston. Scenting weakness, Currie upped a gear and their continued pressure paid off as flanker, Mark Cairns, drove over for a second try and a 13-9 lead. Hawks' cause was further hugely hampered by two sin-binnings for Scott Forrest and then Richie Maxton, although Currie at first failed to capitalise fully.

"We tried to play too much rugby when they were down to 13 men," acknowledged Donaldson.

Malleny Park then erupted on the hour mark as a brilliant handling move along the entire line resulted in Dougie Flockhart diving in joyously at the left corner. Ker converted to stretch the lead to an imposing 20-9.

Against the run of play, winger Ally Maclay gave Hawks some small vestige of hope on 65 minutes, jinking in at the left corner from a feed by Sandy Warnock. But Currie intelligently and with a bit between their teeth ran down the clock and added some further icing on the jubilant cake in injury time as Mike Ker nipped over for the fourth home try.

Remarkably both sides now look forward to a further Malleny meeting next Saturday, locking horns again on crucial league business.

"We would prefer to have beaten Hawks in the league next week," admitted Donaldson, "But we'll take this as a springboard. The league doesn't lie and I still think Hawks are the best in the country by a margin."

A sombre Hawks camp might be struggling to agree.

Currie: D Flockhart, G Caldwell, A Muir, D Moffat, C Browne, D Raw (M Ker, 15), G Calder, A Reekie (D Wilson, 77), G Scott, A Edwards, P Huntley (B Morrison, 61 to 70), A Adam (capt) B Miller, M Cairns, R Weston.

Glasgow Hawks: K Baillie, A Maclay, S Smith (A McPhail, 77), S Duffy, S Low, M Strang, I Monaghan, E Milligan (capt), M Smith, M McFadyen (G Mories, 52), S Begley (M Sitch, 67), R Maxton (yc, 49-59), S Warnock, N McKenzie, S Forrest ( yc, 47-57)

Referee: Rupert Henderson (ERRS)

Scorers: Currie: Tries: Caldwell, Cairns, Flockhart, Ker. Cons: Ker. Pen: Ker. Hawks: Try: Maclay. Pens: Strang (3)

This article was posted on 22-Jan-2006, 09:14 by Hugh Barrow.