Gala 20 GHA 13

Throughout the first quarter at Netherdale on Saturday it seemed that GHA would lay the foundation for a good away victory. But they could not turn that early pressure into enough points, and Gala came through to win the Scottish Hydro Electric Premier Two match.

GHA, however, held on for a bonus point. That was enough to keep them in the top half of the table in sixth place.

Conditions were ideal, though chilly, with the afternoon bright and the pitch firm. GHA should have been wanting to run on it. Instead, they kicked away too much possession.

Dameon Channey, running back a loose Gala clearance, and Jim Noonan almost created a try for Rangi Jericevich in the first minute, and for most of the next quarter of an hour and more GHA were camped well inside the home half of the field. But their only reward was a Niall Cassie try, the captain surging through off lineout ball after nine minutes. Ironically, it was a wayward lineout game that let GHA down later in the game.

In that time, too, the referee showed apparent willingness to deal with the breakdown in the way that it ought to be handled. That was mainly to GHA’s advantage, even if only in territory. But he, too, let his game slip, and illogically the only yellow card in the game was for handling on the ground by Andy Boag. However, GHA survived the flanker’s absence without conceding a point, though Channey had to make a worthy try-saving tackle in the visitors’ right corner.

Noonan converted the Cassie try from the right. But he was off target with a penalty seven minutes later, and soon afterwards Gala showed GHA how to take chances that were presented. On their first visit to the visitors’ 22 they scored in a goal-line scramble. David Marshall and Gareth Brown seemed to congratulate each other on the try, which Graeme Speirs converted.

Speirs added a penalty goal three minutes later. But just before the interval Noonan replied in kind, and it was 10-all at the interval.

In the quarter of an hour after the interval GHA could twice have been three points down again. First, Noonan was penalised when he was accused of a deliberate knock-on, but the referee reversed the penalty because of a Gala indiscretion. Then Speirs missed another goal after 10 metres had been added to a penalty that had been awarded apparently for offside.

Gregg Taylor was denied only five metres out, when a try would have taken GHA to at least 15-10. But they did go ahead in 58 minutes with Noonan’s second penalty goal, this one a simple score from inside the 22 in front of the posts.

Five minutes later, however, Andy McLean shot through for what was to be the deciding try. Speirs converted for Gala to go 17-13, and the home team could have at least gone on to deny GHA a bonus point if they had taken all that was on offer. Speirs had more penalty kicks at goal, but he scored with just one, and right at the end, with the goal-line beckoning, only a knock-on prevented Gala from extending their lead beyond seven points.

<b>Gala</b> – Fraser Thomson; Graeme Speirs, Lee Kibble, William Cox, Shaun Law; Andy McLean (captain), Lawrence Lemmon; Angus Lang, Lewis Roden, Ewan Johnstone, Michael Howes, Chris Weir, Euan Dods, Gareth Brown, David Marshall. Substitutes – Mike Christie, Tim Miskelly, Craig Hogg, Scott Chapman.

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

Referee – Jim Bell.