GHA RFC MATCH 263: GHA RFC 10 – 45 SELKIRK RFC
2013/2014: Scottish National League
GHA RFC |
|
SELKIRK RFC| C. Binnie | 15 | F. Harkness |
| R. Jericevich | 14 | J. Welsh |
| H. O’Hare | 13 | L. Kibble |
| (c) A. Henderson | 12 | R. Nixon (c) |
| S. Lang | 11 | D. Clapperton |
| D. Dunn | 10 | G. Craig |
| M. Houston | 9 | M. Davies |
| M. Kidd | 1 | G. Patterson |
| R. Wilson | 2 | J. Bett |
| S. Carson | 3 | C. Graur |
| R. Glen | 4 | R. Fluhler |
| J. Auld | 5 | C. Marshall |
| R. Jenkins | 6 | E. MacDougall |
| A. Auld | 7 | A. Duckett |
| G. MacDonald | 8 | M. Kissick |
| S. Fisher | 16 | C. MacDougall |
| J. White | 17 | L. MacLennan |
| D. Larkin | 18 | R. Wilson |
| P. Harkins | 19 | A. Lambie |
| J. Plumridge | 20 | G. Turner |
| MacDonald | Try | Harkness (2), Clapperton, Davies, Kibble |
| Houston | Con | Welsh (4) |
| Houston | Pen | Welsh (4) |
| DG | ||
| Referee | ||
| Mr K. White (Edinburgh RS) | ||
GHA’s defeat by Selkirk in the RBS National League match at Braidholm on Saturday was worryingly too similar to the loss to Stewart’s Melville two weeks earlier. So much so that it was tempting to lift that previous home match report from the file and just change the name of the opposition.
But one bright light shone out of the darkness – the manner of the GHA try against the Borderers. It was scored by Grant MacDonald in a pushover. The control and tightness of the home eight in the drive for the goal-line was exemplary, and if the No.8 had not scored the opposing pack was so broken that the referee would surely have awarded a penalty try.
A scrummage like that is surely a base to work on in the future campaign. But much else has to be tightened up, not least the support for the ball-carrier and the first-up tackling. GHA’s occasional sorties, notably by Andy Henderson and Scott Lang, petered out for lack up back-up, and for all five of Selkirk’s tries to be scored by backs was enough of a commentary on the home defence.
Selkirk had the match more or less sewn up by half-time, when they led 28-3 with a try by Lee Kibble and two by Fraser Harkness. Josh Welsh added two conversions and three penalty goals. GHA’s sole first-half score was a Murray Houston penalty goal, which cut the visitors’ lead to 11-3 after 17 minutes.
GHA had a better third quarter, though it was only after the Selkirk open-side, Angus Duckett, had been sin-binned that MacDonald scored his try, marking his return after injury. Houston converted.
However, GHA’s numerical advantage was short-lived as Reid Wilson was yellow carded on the hour. Welsh kicked the goal from that penalty for 31-10.
Alan Auld, Rangi Jericevich and Chris Binnie combined to ignite thoughts of a defiant finale by GHA. But that came to nothing, like the other rare handling threat which had gone before, and Selkirk finished off two more tries; by Mikey Davies (for the bonus point) and Darren Clapperton, both converted by Welsh. In the lead-up to that last try Dominic Dunn made a worthy covering tackle to deny Harkness in front of the home posts, but it was not enough as the Border support arrived to retain possession for the wing to score.
Next up for GHA is a visit to Biggar, the only club below the Braidholm club in the league table. That is obviously a must-win contest for GHA.
Source: Bill McMurtrie & Selkirk RFC, Monday 9th September 2013
