GHA BLITZED BY LOWLY BIGGAR

GHA RFC MATCH 151: BIGGAR RFC 25 – 14 GHA RFC 

2008/2009: Scottish Premiership Two

Biggar grabbed a vital win over GHA as they bid to claw their way away from the relegation zone in Scottish Hydro Electric Premier 2.

The Hartreemill side went into this game having lost five of their previous six games, but got off to the best possible start, as Chris McKeand and Scott Watson linked, with the former crossing for the opening try inside 40 seconds. McKeand missed the conversion but Biggar were 5-0 ahead.

GHA recovered steadily and attacked, forcing Biggar to play the game inside their own half for much of the first quarter. However, Biggar stretched their lead to 10-0 when Murray Thomson’s pass released Scott Watson to touch down in the corner. McKeand’s conversion attempt struck the upright.

Penalties were conceded by both sides on a regular basis, with Biggar missing a few kicking attempts, while GHA opted to run or kick to the corner. Eventually, Biggar were successful with one attempt, as McKeand took the score to 13-0 after 28 minutes. Four minutes later, McKeand charged down a kick by the GHA stand-off on the 22, grubber-kicked the ball and won the race to touch down between the posts, converting for 20-0.

Two minutes into the second half, Biggar were awarded a free-kick for a lineout infringement. The three-quarters worked well to make good progress up the left wing for McKeand to grab his third and Biggar’s fourth try for a 25-0 lead, earning a bonus point. A chance for a fifth try was missed just moments later as Thomson’s pass to Douglas Notman was intercepted and GHA cleared.

In the last 10 minutes, GHA started to get back into the game and a series of attacks took them close to Biggar’s line. During a scrum, Thomson was withdrawn from the action with a badly staved thumb. Sam Muir took over at stand-off and Davy Reive came on at scrum-half. A minute later, Biggar were caught offside and Charles Cochrane, who had only been onfield for 10 minutes, was sin-binned. GHA took advantage of this as Niall Cassie broke through to score, with Jim Noonan converting for 25-7.

With three minutes to go, GHA scored their second try in controversial circumstances. A fine kick was played into the Biggar half. Chris McKeand won the race, getting his foot to the ball when it was about a foot over the line, before GHA’s Andrew Rushforth got a hand to it. The referee gave GHA the benefit of the doubt and Noonan converted to complete the scoring.