GHA 21, Biggar 13

Tries by Niall Cassie and Rangi Jericevich in the second quarter were the crucial difference for GHA in the victory against Biggar at Braidholm on Saturday. Those scores turned an early deficit into a 15-10 half-lead, and GHA stretched the margin enough in the second half to deny the visitors a bonus point.

In addition, GHA’s lineout worked better it had done at Dundee the previous week, and the return of both Jamie Pinder and Dameon Channey also made a difference. Pinder and Andy Williamson were notable in their breenges to carry the game to the opposition, especially in the middle half of the contest.

Jim Noonan gave GHA the lead with a penalty goal after only three minutes. But Biggar were not fazed by that. They failed to equalise two minutes later when Chris McKeand missed with a 40-metre penalty attempt, but they took the lead in 12 minutes when Scott Watson out Sam Muir over after the visitors had run the ball back from a GHA kick.

McKeand missed the conversion. In all, he failed with five of his six goal kicks whereas Noonan scored with four from six. That, too, was a vital difference between the contestants.

GHA, however, were soon in front again when Cassie went over after the ball had been spin to the left and then back to the right. Noonan converted from well out, but Murray Thomson equalised in 28 minutes from a penalty lineout.

Just before the interval Noonan missed a penalty, but enough time was left for Cassie to send Jericevich in on the right. Noonan failed the conversion. But GHA held a five-point lead at the interval, and they increased it with two Noonan penalty goals in the second half’s first quarter of an hour. The range for the first of those was reduced to 45 metres when an opponent spoke out of turn, and the second was from the easier range of 22 metres.

McKeand’s only goal reduced the margin to eight points after 56 minutes, but two more went astray before the end, the last of them while Biggar were down to 14 men after Damian Albert had been sin-binned for stamping.

In added time, however, GHA had a chance to stretch the lead again, when a Noonan kick found space deep on the right, but the chasing Patrick Hilley was bundled into touch close to the goal-line.

Ironically, victory made no difference to GHA’s league position. They are still sixth, though now only on points difference behind Haddington.

<b>GHA</b> – Gregg Taylor; Rangi Jericevich, Niall Cassie (captain), Andrew Rushforth, Ross McClymont; Jim Noonan, Jamie Smyth; Geoff Warnock, Joe Coffey, Andy Kelly, Ryan Jenkins, Andy Williamson, Dameon Channey, Andy Boag, Jamie Pinder. Substitutes – Adam McCormick, Dominic Kellock, Paul Harkin, Patrick Hilley.

<b>Biggar</b> – Murray Thomson (captain); Scott Watson, Douglas Notman, Simeon James, Chris McKeand; Conor Lavery, Sam Muir; Kevin Anderson, Michael Rutherford, Ted Tauroa, Damian Albert, Stuart Coubrough, Lewis McLachlan, Richard Wood, Andrew Cairns. Substitutes – Ian Renwick, Michael McKeand, Charles Cochrane, David Robertson.

Referee – Colin Brett (Edinburgh Referees Society).