GHK v Irvine Match Report

Your scribe is aspiring to two noteworthy achievements this week: one for speed, with the match report actually appearing on the same day as the match; and the second for brevity, the former being brought on by a quiet evening in and the latter by the appalling weather conditions which made playing rugby difficult and taking notes nigh on impossible.

The rain which had threatened all day eventually arrived just before kick off and, together with a strong and swirling wind, was to make it increasingly difficult to play handling rugby although, to their credit, both teams kept trying to do so throughout.

Both teams showed changes from the previous week’s close encounter in the league and served up another tight contest which GHK edged due to their ability, to use the wind in the first half, to create and take chances and, once again, to their obduracy and tenacity in defence.

GHK’s scrum functioned well from the outset, putting Irvine under pressure throughout and it was from a good early scrum that David Reid, who had a very solid game at stand off, fed Hugh Parker who outstripped the defence form 40 metres with Reid adding the conversion. Almost immediately GHK struck again with good handling following an initial break from captain Danny Hoffman linking to Gregor Hollerin, later named man of the match, and onto winger Scott Eadie who still had men to beat which he managed to do, squeezing into the corner with Reid narrowly missing the difficult kick.

Irvine gradually built their way into the game and were rewarded with a well worked try from their speedy full back who made several threatening runs during the game.

GHK’s third try, which was to turn out to be their last of the day was, again, a product of good handling in the conditions with an initial plundering of opposition ball by Greg Woolard taken on by the ever present Mike Borthwick who drew his man and fed the pacey Davey White for another score wide out.

The strength of the wind was amply demonstrated by two penalty attempts late in the half with first Irvine failing to convert one from inside the GHK twenty two, only for an award to GHK exactly on halfway, which was goaled by Reid to give GHK a halftime lead of 20-5.

The second half was played out in deteriorating conditions with Irvine having periods of pressure but seldom threatening the GHK line, the exception coming early in the half when their right winger went over to bring the game back within reach at 20 -10.

GHK stuck to their defensive duties and also found the energy to exert their own lengthy period of sustained pressure on the Irvine line, winning a series of penalties from which they, rightly, opted for scrums with progress made to within inches of the Irvine line but, ultimately without any material benefit.

With neither side able to find another score GHK go through to the semi final of the West Regional Shield where they have a home tie against who else but oldest rivals, Glasgow Accies, following Accies success today against Allan Glens.

This was another committed performance for the whole team, including replacements, with the winning platform being built on the work of the front five in the tight, great work by the back row in the loose and some sensible and skilful play by the backs.

Next week it’s the last game of the first half of the league programme with East Kilbride visiting OA.

Put it in the diary now - Saturday 10 December –
Christmas Lunch at GHK followed by game v Accies!

VP
This article was posted on 29-Oct-2011, 21:41 by

             

This article was posted on 30-Oct-2011, 07:33 by Hugh Barrow.