Hawks beat Boroughmuir 27-20 at Old Anniesland.The match was the usual Hawks/Boroughmuir game with both sides playing open rugby--match report to follow

SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY REPORTS

Hawks' appetite intact

SANDY STRANG
AT ANNIESLAND


GLASGOW HAWKS 27-20 BOROUGHMUIR

NEWLY-crowned Hawks celebrated their championship win with a rousing display against cup finalists Boroughmuir. Hawks now need a mere three points from the remaining two matches to eclipse last season’s title- winning tally.

No clash between these clubs can ever be deemed a phoney war, but this end-of-season meeting appeared less meaningful than most. Yet the Anniesland crowd were well entertained by a fine, open game played in a good spirit throughout.

Hawks grabbed control from the outset. An understrength ’Muir struggled to stay in the game as the Glasgow men charged into a 20-3 lead within the first half hour. Scrum-half Kenny Sinclair darted in under the posts after a fine break by No.8 Mark Sitch, before centre Ally Maclay snatched a second Hawks try with a weaving 30-metre run, with the boot of man of the match Murray Strang adding two penalties and two conversions. ’Muir’s first half endeavours yielded only two James Reilly penalties.

The Meggetland men came much more into the game in the second period but were victims of a controversial penalty try awarded on the hour mark by referee Ian Heard for deliberate off-side. Strang converted, but Boroughmuir kept in the hunt with a further three Reilly penalties.

Then, in a stirring finale, ’Muir winger Robert Cairns raced home on the right to reduce the leeway to only seven points.

Their coach Bruce Reekie remained stridently upbeat. "Hawks are an outstandingly organised side," he said, "but I felt that after a sticky start we played the better attacking rugby throughout, and the penalty count against them speaks volumes. We also still have third place to fight for against Melrose."

Then there is that BT Cup final at Murrayfield against Dundee HSFP on April 30.

Glasgow Hawks: M Adamson; S Gordon, A Maclay, S Duffy, C Shaw; M Strang, K Sinclair; J Malakoty, E Milligan, P Dalton, S Begley, R Maxton, G Francis, N McKenzie, M Sitch. Replacements: M Smith, S Warnock, S Forrest, S Low.

Boroughmuir: J Reilly; R Cairns, S Ruddick, G Kiddie, D Brown; A Hadden, C Cusiter; R Mathieson, D Cunningham, F Lait, S Waddell, G McCallum, C Capaldi, A Martyn, B Fisher. Replacements: J Cox, R Muir, K Brown, Brown.

Referee: I Heard (Gala)

Scorers: Glasgow Hawks - Tries: Sinclair, Maclay. Pen Try. Cons: Strang (3). Pens: Strang (2). Boroughmuir - Tries: Cusiter, Cairns. Pens: Reilly (5).

photos courtesy of Boroughmuir website

This article was originally posted on 16-Apr-2005, 23:09 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 17-Apr-2005, 12:05.