Match Report for Saturday 4th April 2015
Glasgow Accies v GHK
From our scribe at NA Donald Reid
YOU HAVE GOOD DAYS AND BAD DAYS!
Well Saturday was one of each!
THE BAD DAYS:-

We all woke up to the news that our beloved and revered friend Ken Waine had passed on to the next life. Throughout Anniesland on Saturday there were past pupils and old friends exchanging memories of a man who touch all our lives and will be remembered as a guiding light at school and a fantastic supporter of this great rugby club. This is a man who will be sadly missed.
He would have been the first man on his feet to applaud the wonderful rugby spectacle we all witnessed at New Anniesland on Saturday. He love open rugby, played at a ferocious pace by two sides that were totally committed to attacking. He would have been in his element watching a match of such intensity and skill and would never have begrudged the winners their trophy! He would have been the first to stand up and applaud GHK for a well-earned victory. (even if it did stick, a little bit in his throat)!
THE GOOD DAYS:-
Saturday’s game was one of the best spectacles of open and skilful rugby that most of those lucky enough to be present had witnessed. I am sure this scribe was not alone in thinking that the league champions had come over the fence to give us the hiding they had given the team above us in the league the previous week.
From the kick off Accies demonstrated that they were not going to sit back and let their opponents dictate the game and after some exceptional passages of back and forward play, the Accie back division produced a move that would have made Gregory Townsend’s Warriors proud and scored the first try of the match. Within what seemed a very short period of time the Accies backs and forwards had produced another brilliant move and were now 10 -0 up.
GHK now realised that this was not going to be a “walk in the park” and started to produce some of the fantastic rugby they have been producing all season. Back they came with a penalty and a beautifully constructed try out wide on the right. The side have clearly been told that they must score all their tries out wide on the right, as up popped their left footed full back to convert from the touchline.
GHK were now rampant and despite some great defensive work were again rewarded with a try – yes you guessed it – out wide on the right, so it was now 10-17 to GHK. However this spirited Accies side came back at their opponents and were pressing hard for an equalising try but were being thwarted by GHK’s determined defence. GHK broke out of their 22 and were now threatening the Accies line but equally stout defence was holding them out. At an ensuing breakdown Accies No7 was standing over the ruck with his hands on the ball and referee of the day Andy Summers, who everyone agree afterwards had a good day, made what most felt was an error of judgement and yellow carded Accies man of the match. In the ensuing 10 minute period GHK scored 10 points from the ensuing penalty and a try from a blind side break of a strike against the head down and a run down Accies undefended side. So half time arrived with the score: Accies 10 –GHK 25
This reporter, I am sure was not alone in thinking that the league champions would take their first half advantage and drive on!
Well every supported around me, in the stand, was on their feet when this completely committed Accies side drove from the kick off and within 2 minutes had produced another great try, and were now back to 15-25. Could this form last and could the unbelievable be happening? Well it can only have been 3 or 4 minutes later and Accies were back on the attack and producing yet another try, this time from a beautiful piece of individual skill and a score under the post. Yes it was 22-25.
Accies supporters were now beginning to think that the impossible could be on the cards. Both sides were giving it everything they had and some brilliant skills by the GHK backs put the fastest man on the pitch away. 22-32. Was this the moment GHK were going to stretch away and with Accies having put in such a fantastic effort were they going to run out of steam?
Well not from what we all watched on the pitch, they came right back at GHK and upped the pressure and were looking by far the most likely to score when a break out by the fastest man in the west resulted in another try for GHK. 22-37.
We were all now sitting back and thinking – “well how can a side who have put in such a fantastic effort have anything left”?
How wrong could we have been, as Accies reorganised and produced another 10 minutes of total rugby. They scored a real forwards try and with probably the second best move of the game scored under the posts in the last minute to make the final score 34-37!
This was without doubt one of the finest rugby matches played at New Anniesland for many seasons and it has to be said that it takes two teams to produce this quality.
We all wish GHK well in their ventures into Nation Leagues but I have to say I doubt if they will come up against sterner opposition than they did today.
If this week’s rugby was a prelude to what were are to be served up next week against Carrick can I strongly advise every member of the Accies supporters club to make the effort to be at New Anniesland, pay your fiver, sit back and enjoy 80 minutes of quality entertainment.