SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY REPORTS

Mighty Mike in seventh heaven

IAIN MORRISON
AT ANNIESLAND


GLAS HAWKS 33
BOROUGHMUIR 17

ONCE again Hawks did just enough to overcome a spirited second-half comeback from Boroughmuir, but once again the league leaders earned few plaudits for the manner in which they did it. The game was much closer than the scoreboard suggests but Hawks can thank fullback Mike Adamson whose immaculate kicking display, seven from seven in front of goal, kept his side in it.


Hawks had a ten-point lead after 20 minutes but such was their lethargy in the middle of the match that this was transformed into a one point deficit before the final quarter. Facing their first defeat of the season the home side rallied to grab 17 unanswered points in the last 20 minutes of the match.

The match was strangely lacking passion, with the exception of one late punch up which only proved that Stuart Low should stick to rugby. Boroughmuir expected to lose this match while their opponents expected to win and at the final whistle neither side was wrong.

The visitors have only themselves to blame because on this form Hawks are there for the taking. Why Callum Cusiter was left kicking his heels on the bench is anyone's guess since the little scrumhalf transformed his side's fortunes in the second half. Luckily for Hawks they boast players with an abundance of talent which, on the day, was enough to compensate for all the killer instinct of a Buddhist monk.

Prop forward Nick Cox was once on Gloucester's books and he showed why he is so highly rated yesterday, making huge strides with the ball in hand and bumping off all comers with impunity.

Muir look like a side that is short of confidence which is understandable after a difficult start to the season. Flyhalf Andy Hadden put in some booming clearance kicks but his little offloads were all executed too far from the opposition who consequently has plenty of time to pick up the runner.

Adamson got the hosts off to a good start with a sixth minute penalty after Boroughmuir were guilty of killing the ball and the first try came ten minutes later. Cox drove the ball forward and Strang attacked the blindside. Neat interplay with his centre Duffy saw Strang dive over in the right hand corner and Adamson's conversion gave Hawks a ten-point lead that they kept until minutes before half time.

With the clock running down the visitors launched their most concerted attack with wave after wave of assault breaking down on a determined defence. Awarded a penalty under Hawks' posts Rory Couper gambled on a quick tap and it paid off handsomely with flanker Martyn diving over in the corner. There was still just enough time for Adamson to stretch Hawks' lead, his second penalty proved the last kick of the half.

Both teams freshened things up at the break with Hawks bringing on Richard Maxton at lock and replacement scrumhalf Stephen Biggart. Cusiter got a run for the visitors and, while that proved a canny move, still it was the home side that extended their advantage with Adamson's third penalty six minutes after the restart.

Stung into action the visitors exerted some muscle of their own. Twice Muir drove towards the home line but on both occasions the forwards were penalised. They created several overlaps, one of which offered a seven-on-two, but they simply lacked the guile or hands to take advantage of them.

After spending the entire third quarter on the attack Boroughmuir were finally rewarded with two quick tries in the space of three minutes and Callum Cusiter had a hand in both.

In a replay of their first half touchdown the little scrumhalf took a quick tap under the posts and after recycling the ball a couple of times No.8 Ben Fisher drove over. Just minutes later Cusiter again latched onto a Hawks' knock on inside his own half and he raced up field, drawing the last man and putting Couper into the left hand corner. Hadden made one of the two conversions which gave his side a narrow one point lead with 20 minutes still to play.

It proved more than enough for Hawks. Strang fluffed a long drop goal but Adamson kicked his fourth penalty. Flanker Greg Francis got himself on the end of a flowing move to score his side's second try five minutes from time and centre Iain Kennedy made good use of Cox's charge to score their third. Needless to say Adamson made good both conversions.

Glas Hawks: M Adamson, A Maclay (S Low 55), I Kennedy, S Duffy, S Gordon; M Strang, R McKnight (S Biggart 40); E Milligan, S Fell, N Cox (G MacFadyen 60), S Warnock, M Sitch, G Francis, S Forrest, N McKenzie (R Maxton 40).

Boroughmuir: R Couper, R Cairns, M Clapperton, S Ruddick, M Brown; A Hadden, A Knight (C Cusiter 45); F Lait, K Traynor, D Wright, G Scott, G McCallum, O Brown, A Martyn (G Cottrell 55), B Fisher.

Scorers: Hawks: Try: Strang, Francis. Kennedy Conv: Adamson (3) Pen: Adamson (4). Boroughmuir: Try: Martyn, Fisher, Couper Conv: Hadden.

Referee: D Jack.

This article was posted on 23-Oct-2005, 08:34 by Hugh Barrow.