GHA 10 Edinburgh Academicals 29

Briefly, midway in the second half, GHA showed real signs of coming back
to snatch victory against Edinburgh Academicals at Braidholm on Saturday.
Instead, the visitors scored two late tries, grabbing a bonus point.

GHA were left without even the solace of a losing bonus, and their place in the
league table is unchanged on the penultimate rung of the ladder. That, though,
is still only on alphabetic priority, ahead of Stewart’s Melville.

Accies dominated the first half, though with only two tries to show for that.
Jamie Sole scored after 12 minutes on the right after a tapped penalty on the
left, and on the half-hour Iain Berthinussen broke through off lineout ball. What
looked like being another Edinburgh try was denied by Dominic Dunn’s fine
saving tackle in GHA’s left corner.

Stuart Evans converted both tries, the second a ricochet off the far post. But
he missed two penalties, and Accies squandered at least four other try-scoring
chances with forward passes and knock-ons. Ironically, their third try also
should have been chalked off because of a blatant forward pass in the lead-up.

GHA looked like making a swift response to the first try when Patrick Hilley
caught the kick-off flying at full tilt. Accies were penalised there, but David Scott
missed the kick and a subsequent one. So the home team finished the first half
down by 0-14.

However, GHA were much more in the game in the third quarter. Jamie Pinder
scored on the left eight minutes into the second half after direct lead-up work by
Ryan Jenkins and Morne Strydom.

Scott converted, but he missed another after Evans had eased Accies to 17-
7 in 53 minutes. Murray Houston took over the goal-kicking duties after Kenny
Blyth had been sin-binned for not rolling away at a breakdown. Accies could
count themselves fortunate that the referee’s yellow card was not displayed
more often such was their persistence in going off their feet at tackles. A second
visitor, Robin Snape, was later sin-binned, but that meant little in the contest as
it was four minutes into added time.

Houston’s goal was GHA’s only benefit while Accies were short-handed, and
any hope of a GHA recovery was dashed by late tries by Sole and Scott Jeffers,
the latter converted by Evans.

In the final play of the game Scott Lang had the ball over Accies’ line, but even
that late consolation was denied by a previous infringement.

GHA – Dominic Dunn; Patrick Hilley, Ross McClymont, Stuart Keenan, Scott
Lang; David Scott, Murray Houston; Geoff Warnock, Donald Malcolm, Josh
Low, Ryan Jenkins, Simon Shearer, Morne Strydom, Jamie Pinder, Ruchin
Filander. Substitutes – Stephen Spowart, Paul Harkins, Sam Bingham, Andrew
Rushforth.

Edinburgh Academicals – Jamie Sole; Josh Pecqueur, Matt Coupar, Iain
Berthinussen, Sam Atkin; Stuart Evans, John Letham; Duncan MacLeod,
Michael Liness, Kenny Blyth, Nathan Pike, Greg Campbell, Robin Snape, Andy
Lamb, Tom Drennan. Substitutes – Scott Jeffers, Johnny McSorley, Callum
Reid, Paddy Traylor.

Referee – Kevin White.

Former GHA stalwarts, Calum Forrester and Jon Welsh start for the Warriors this evening in their Magners League opening tie at home to Leinster. Kick Off at Firhill is at 7:05pm.

If you can't make it to the game, you can watch it on BBC Alba. Coverage starts at 7pm. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tndvy

Courtesy of our new sponsor, Scottish Hampers, there will be a hamper in the raffle after this Saturday's home game against Edinburgh Accies.
Check out their website here: www.scottishhampers.co.uk

We also have the new lunch menu running from Saturday so why not come along for a bite to eat before the game. Call the club on 0141 637 5850 to make a reservation.

GHA v Edinburgh Academicals - Saturday 4th September, KO 3pm

This fixture should stir the memory of all GHA supporters who were witness to the last time these two sides met at Braidholm. It was a cold, wet winter's day in early December 2007. GHA and Accies were locked in a Premier One fight for survival and as the game entered second half injury time, the Accies held a 15-10 advantage. Then it happened. GHA won possession just inside the Accies half. Knowing that this would be the final play of the game, they advanced the ball up the field to the Accies line. And after retaining the ball for 37 phases in the driving rain, Jon Welsh bull-dozed his way over from a yard out to draw the game level. Noonan slotted the conversion to secure one of the most memorable wins in GHA's history by 17-15.

We can't promise the same drama this Saturday but with Accies flying high and GHA struggling after the first two games, another famous victory this weekend would get the team back on track. We hope you can join us and lend your support to the boys.

Why not join us for lunch before the game with the new lunch menu starting on Saturday. Phone Claire on 0141 637 5850 if you'd like to make a booking.

Hillhead/Jordanhill 20 GHA 13

It looks like being a long hard season for GHA. Defeat at home by Jed-Forest last
week was followed by an away loss against Hillhead/Jordanhill.

A bonus point was taken from that Hughenden defeat. However, it is a worry feature
of the Premier Two league table that GHA are not at the foot of the ladder only
through alphabetical advantage. The Braidholm club have the same points-difference
as Kirkcaldy.

In a messy match, with excitement generated only by the closeness of the scoring
throughout, GHA held the lead briefly after a Donald Malcolm try in 27 minutes. At
almost the same time in the second half a Stuart Keenan try pulled the visitors level
at 13-all, but the home team snatched victory when for the second time in the match
Donald Pitkethly scored on the blind side of a close-range scrum.

Over the two matches so far this season GHA have conceded seven tries, and five of
these have been scored by No.8 forwards. It may not be a significant factor: Jed No.8
scored his three off lineout drives whereas his Hughenden counterpart had his from
scrums.

Pitkethly’s first was far too easy. GHA were down to 14 men, with Simon Shearer in
the sin-bin, and yet they omitted to adequately cover the narrow side of a close-in
scrum. That was left to Morne Strydom to police, but the blind-side flanker was drawn
away as the scrum wheeled to the home team’s advantage.

GHA started brightly, though without anything to show, and the first time Hillhead/
Jordanhill had play inside the visitors’ half they earned a tackle penalty in nine
minutes. Gus Twaddle was just short from a step inside the GHA half, but he was on
target 13 minutes later downwind from only slightly shorter range after a scrummage
penalty.

Two minutes after that he missed again from halfway, though the tide seemed to
have turned against GHA when Patrick Hilley had to pull off a try-saving tackle inside
his own 22. Almost immediately, however, GHA found the means to run from deep,
and when Scott Lang kicked ahead Hilley followed up for what seemed a genuine try.
But it was denied because the referee called a penalty for GHA for a late tackle on
Lang.

GHA’s supporters were furious that advantage had not been allowed. Fortunately,
it was from the ensuing penalty lineout that Malcolm scored GHA’s first try. Murray
Houston could not convert from tight on the left touchline.

Twaddle restored the home club’s lead with a goal from a tackle penalty in 35
minutes, and Pitkethly’s first try with the full back’s conversion gave Hillhead/
Jordanhill a 13-5 half-time lead. But a Houston penalty goal from a tackle
infringement cut the margin to five points in the minute after the interval.

Midway in the second half GHA lost Gregg Taylor with a rib injury, and that
allowed young David Scott switch to his more accustomed role at stand-off. Almost
immediately he sparked the play that allowed Keenan to break from the home 10-
metre line and run all the way into the right corner in 63 minutes. It was too far out for
Houston to convert.

It seemed good fortune might be on GHA’s side in thwarting the home club’s late
efforts. Twaddle missed a penalty from 30 metres, and a home try from another
five-metre scrum was denied because of obstruction. But from a similar scrum in 76
minutes Pitkethly pounced again, Twaddle converting.

GHA had one last shot at salvaging a draw when Keenan and Gareth Jones charged
into the home 22. But hope ended with a knock-on in the follow-up.

Hillhead/Jordanhill – Gus Twaddle; Lewis Matheson, Dan Witko, David Paterson,
Andy Leslie; Oliver Maddocks, David Armstrong; Dave Simm, Joe Stafford, Nick
McAuley, Duncan McCartney, David Fisken, Stuart Rose, Dougie Crighton, Donald
Pitkethly. Substitutes – Fraser Paul, Archie Millar, Will Goulding, Chris Tulloch.

GHA – Chris Binnie; David Scott, Patrick Hilley, Stuart Keenan, Scott Lang; Gregg
Taylor, Murray Houston; Matt Kidd, Donald Malcolm, Josh Low, Ryan Jenkins, Simon
Shearer, Morne Strydom, Jamie Pinder, Ruchin Filander. Substitutes – Stephen
Spowart, Gareth Jones, Paul Harkins, Brandon Wamberg.

Referee – David Walker.