THE SCOTSMAN REPORTS
Hay bemoans injustice
CRAIG FORBES AT OLD ANNIESLAND

Glasgow Hawks 27
Hawick 17

HAWICK coach Jim Hay believes his side's relegation fears could have been eased if referee David Jack had flashed a red card instead of yellow at home prop Nick Cox.

Hay declared: "That was one of some horrendous decisions. We are told that there is a zero-tolerance approach to violence, yet when a player throws a punch a metre away from the touch-judge he is only sent to the sin-bin.

"It goes without saying that the course of the game would have changed if other action had been taken."

On the contest itself, Hay added: "We started well, but the bit in the middle just killed us. We rallied - but by then Hawks had killed the game."

It was an emotional victory for Glasgow Hawks following the funeral of former player Craig Hodgkinson the previous day. Hodgkinson died aged just 27 after collapsing during a game for the Royal Navy side in Cornwall.

Hawks coach Davie Wilson admitted: "Sometimes the players' minds were not as focused as they could be.

"I don't want to sound as if I am making excuses, but this has been a very emotional week at the club, possibly the most difficult I can recall. With the funeral of Craig Hodgkinson on Friday it was hard for everyone."

Scorers: Hawks: Tries: E Smith, Gordon, Adamson. Cons: Adamson 3. Pens: Adamson 2. Hawick: Tries: Hedley, Murray. Cons: Hutton 2. Pen: Hutton.

This article was originally posted on 20-Nov-2006, 08:52 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 20-Nov-2006, 08:53.