Hawks survive last-gasp scare to get a firm handle on cup progress

Glasgow Hawks 9, Heriot's F P 8. THE essential joie de vivre which has so characterised the Heriot's psyche down through the years was put to the test so severely yesterday, on a perfect playing surface and in windless conditions, that they went out of the BT Cellnet Cup at the fourth-round stage in a nail-biting conclusion.

In true knock-out tradition, with the game four minutes into injury-time and the Hawks cruising, despite only a 9-3 lead, the Glasgow side's overwhelming command of the ruck situation led to some unnecessarily fancy midfield passing. Heriot's, desperate and dangerous, booted the ball upfield and their lethal right-wing Charlie Keenan managed to retrieve possession in the right-hand corner.

Swift and efficient cross-field passing put Gregor Lawson over on the left. It remained only for Gordon Ross to complete the return from the grave, but his conversion attempt sailed harmlessly past and the Hawks' relieved celebrations began.

It was a fractured and dysfunctional contest, certainly not without excitement and full of commitment but in the aftermath the basic truth remained: the Hawks forwards strangled the life out of a young Heriot's eight, still minus Jocky Bryce, and utterly dominated possession at the breakdown with a hardness and basic technique which the visitors could not match.

In this regard Chris Docherty and the unheralded Ian Smith were vital, while even that old campaigner Gavin Walsh produced a vintage effort in the set scrummage where Bruce Douglas was so discomfited that he was replaced in 56 minutes.

It had been a first half strewn with errors forced and unforced and slowed further by Mr Stevenson's excessive dispensation of penalties scattered like confetti to both sides despite the Heriot's supporters' conviction that the Hawks were the beneficiaries.

They certainly had been the beneficiaries of playing down towards the pavilion in the second half - their favoured situation - which they dominated as their forwards took control and the Heriot's confidence and self belief began to succumb.

In close correlation to the forward effort, the half-back combination flourishes or withers on the vine. Cammy Little, at the height of his powers, despite the close attention of Simon Taylor and Andy Dall, proved a hot handful for young Rory Lawson playing his first senior game, while Heriot's playmaker Gordon Ross and Eugene Martin provided a personal duel which occasionally degenerated into verbal badinage and handbags. Ultimately Ross was unable to exert his normal benign and urbane influence on his side, so engrossed were they in dealing with Glasgow's savour faire up front.

So the Hawks have won their second consecutive vital game in league and cup and they will remember a particularly defining moment in retrospect.

Shortly before half-time Heriot's Dall won line-out towards the tail, Taylor broke menacingly and found Chris Capaldi at his shoulder. As Ian Stent went like the clappers for the line Scott Hutton produced a stupendous tackle to save a certain try.

Who knows what effect seven points would have had minutes before half-time on the Heriot's effort. Instead the penalties from Ross and the strangely ineffectual Campbell Aitken had cancelled themselves out.

Although the rangy full-back was to kick Hawks into a lead they never lost with two more penalties, they lived through agonies as Ross, uncomfortable all afternoon with the boot, pulled his final shot wide.

Glasgow Hawks: C Aitken; K Baillie, D Wilson, C Simmers, G Hawkes; E Martin, C Little; L McIntyre (C Hanvey 65), C Docherty, G Walsh, I Smith, R McKay, S Hutton (captain), B Mutter (G Francis 59), A Plastow.

Heriot's FP: G Lawson; C Keenan, I Stent, G Lawrie (D Cross 73), D Proctor; G Ross, R Lawson; B Douglas (S Dempster 56), A Neilson, A Binnie, D Boswall (captain), T Bradley, C Capaldi (T McVie 56), A Dall, S Taylor.

Referee: M Stevenson (Stirling Co).

Copyright 1999
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