Hillhead Jordanhill 1st XV 28 points Howe of Fife 1st XV 19 points
Bernie Mitchell
This was a curate’s egg of a game in which both sides threated to pull away from their rivals but neither could generate sufficient continuity in their phased possessions to do so. The bulk of the scoring was confined to the first half which Hills “won” by 21 points to 12, while the second period was a much duller affair which finished 7 points a piece. Hills harvested 5 league points for their efforts while their opponents, Howe, went home with nothing to declare for their considerable efforts.
Playing uphill towards the Clubhouse, Hills dominated all the early possession and territory but their approach was all too frenetic with quickly taken tapped penalties being wasted. Howe, on their first visit to the Hills danger zone, scored with some ease, the home defence being easily breached. To their credit, Hills roared back into their opponents and a fine midfield break from Andrew Brown, in the 13 channel, allowed flying left winger, Fionn Whyte, to choose an uncluttered line to score by the posts, stand-off Rory Harte converting.
7-7 at the end of the first quarter hinted at a very close game and it was Howe who next nudged the scoreboard operators into action. Despite winning a defensive scrum in their won 22, the Hills front row, in particular Dougie Sinclair, looked daggers when they broke up to discover Howe had pirated the ball to score, virtually untouched. This stung the Hills into a quick response and captain, Blair Colvin, who gave a fine lead throughout in the loose, powered over the line to touch down, Rory Harte again converting. The best try of the day to close off the first half belonged to the quicksilver, Matt Murray , who benefitted from the lead up work of wingers, Fionn Whyte and the returning Lewis Herd, to score in the corner, with Rory Harte again converting from a tight angle.
Hills pulled further away at the stary of the second half with some good close range finishing from Ulsterman James Agnew, Rory Harte again adding the extras from the tee. But the Hills forward pack was disrupted with a head knock to Lewis Lightbody who had to retire to be replaced by Giacomo Sanders. Darrly Elvin was also replaced by Calum Weir. The game stuttered along for the remainder of the second half. Even gifted amateur sides cannot maintain the high level octane game both Hills and Howe are programmed to play. Tired bodies were everywhere, but Howe kept at it to be rewarded by a fine try in which their most prominent player, Ruari Barr, played a significant part. Howe tried gamely to close for a bonus point but steely defence from Scott Halliday in the centre, and Jaysen Denley, at open side, closed out the visitors.
Hills now move the caravan to the Bearyards, the home ground of Allan Glens, their city rivals, for game 4 in round 1 of the Arnold Clark National League 3 on the 28th, September weekend Saturday. Two fifteens take the road to the ‘Brigg for a 15.00 KO. It will not be a quiet afternoon.
