In a closely contested contest at Netherdale, “Hills” competed well in all phases,  but ultimately could not play sufficient continuity rugby in the Gala areas of the field, and lost by two tries and three penalty goals to three penalty goals.  Yet all the early play was with the “Hills” and their powerful front five where Chris Tulloch and Joe Stafford were prominent with their bullocking, ball carrying runs.  Pressure told with  Angus Twaddle converting his first penalty chance of the game, when the home backs strayed offside in midfield.  It looked as if “Hills” would add to their lead through the scalding pace of outside centre Archie Miller, but the line breaks were elusive due to the hardworking Gala defence.  The “Braw Lads” then came into the game more up front due to the work of Tom Weir at the line out tail whose catching and distribution served to ignite the Gala team.  But the “Hills” defence proved as impenetrable as Gala’s,  and it took the home team until 27 minutes to equalise with Craig Dodds kicking a penalty, when visiting scrum half, David Armstrong, had been sin binned for a technical offence.  Both sides continued to press for the remaining  10 minutes of the half but Gala finished stronger when McQuillan scored in the right hand corner.

After Hills early assault on the Gala line, the game had been much more evenly contested, and the second half proved almost identical.  Both sides had periods of ascendancy with David Fisken being secure on the touchline for “Hills”, but the visitors were guilty of a high error count in handling and also at the breakdown, where several members of the team incurred the wrath of referee Jean-Marie Burel.  The opportunities to build phases and thereby pressure on Gala were therefore squandered, and it required the radar techniques of Angus Twaddle to guide two more penalty chances over the bar to inch “Hills” ahead by 9pts to 8 with only the final quarter to play.

Here Gala with the impressive flanker, Euan Dodds, to the fore found more open field play to take the game to their opponents.  A series of close range rucks finally allowed Johnston to score Gala’s second try.  The conversion was missed and “Hills” tried to counter, but again Dodds with his powerful running created attacking options for Gala.  A 50 metre penalty from replacement kicker Lee Miller took Gala seven points clear with little time left and “Hills” eyeing a deserved consolation bonus point.    It was not to be, however,  as Miller proved the destroyer of “Hills” with another penalty goal, leaving “Hills” to rue their profligacy in the opening 15 minutes.

Grant Sweenie, Hills co-coach,  was distraught at the end: “ Over the piece we competed well with Gala, but we must be more clinical and focused when we get into the opposition twenty two.  We know what we have to work on next week.  No more stupid penalties”

Hillhead/Jordanhill RFC – Angus Twaddle, Lewis Mathieson  ,  Archie Miller , David Paterson (C)
,Craig Bryson  , Cameron McCulloch, David Armstrong ,Joe Stafford ( Morgan Martin )
Fraser Paul ( Joe Stafford ) ,  Nick McAuley ,  David Fisken ,  Christopher Tulloch ( Duncan McCartney )  Donald Pitkethly ,  Douglas Crichton , Douglas Wood .  Subs. Charles Duke, Christopher Craig