Edinburgh Accies 33
Glasgow Hawks 29
JOURNALIST NAME @ Raeburn Place
EDINBURGH ACCIES came back from a terrible start to the first half to beat Glasgow Hawks at the death in an absolute thriller at Raeburn Place. The result is vital in the scheme of the season as it lifts the hosts off the foot of the table and leaves the visitors yet to claim a win with four rounds played.
Hawks had started in rampant style with the wind in their favour as two tries from Craig Nolan and one from Ryan Flett launched them into a 15-point lead. Accies then hit back through Cameron MacDonaldand Ritchie Mitchell to get back within a point, before Yousuf Shaheen burrowed over near halftime to send Hawks in 22-14 ahead at the break.
The hosts set about using the wind to their advantage in the second half as the outstanding MacDonald scored two more tries to complete a hat-trick and put Accies back ahead, before Shaheen crossed for his second to give Hawks a lead with five minutes to play.
Then that man MacDonald once again found a breakthrough and fed Jock Lawrie to cross, much to the home fans’ delight. Hawks had a final chance to take the win in the last play of the game, but were bundled into touch just before they touched down in the right corner, and Accies claimed a vital first win of the season.

 “We scraped it in the end,” said Edinburgh Accies head coach Michael Todd. “We knew the weather was going to play a big part and we knew we were going to have to fight for it. We are delighted to come away with the win.”ry:
“Cammy MacDonald was excellent with three tries and putting Jock away for the final try. I also thought Grant Hall was absolutely outstanding. He’s over there bleeding and getting stitched up now. There was a lot of effort there, and we are so happy for him to get the win.”
Hawks kicked off with a strong wind in their favour and immediately had the hosts under pressure. A ruck penalty at the first breakdown gave David McCartneythe chance to kick to the corner. A dominant maul followed, and Nolan crashed over for the opening try after only a minute.
Against the run of play, the next chance fell to Accies. A loose ball was gathered by Robbie Chalmers, and the outside-centre found support inside, but couldn’t regather the return pass just as the hosts entered the Hawks’ 22 for the first time.
A tackle in the air by Accies gave Hawks a penalty on halfway, and McCartney again hammered it into the hosts’ 22. It was clinical from there. A secure line-out maul, followed by powerful carries from Nolan and Andrew Syme, gave Hawks front-foot possession. The visiting backs took full advantage, with a perfectly weighted miss-pass to skipper Flett giving them their second try.
A lovely piece of individual skill from James Coupercreated Hawks’ next opportunity. The winger received the ball in his own half, chipped ahead and regathered his own kick in the Accies 22. Hawks quickly moved the ball to the opposite wing, and Nolan again drove over in the left corner.
Quick thinking from MacDonald finally gave Accies a foothold. Hawks conceded a ruck penalty in their own half, and the scrum-half took it quickly, broke upfield and found Finlay MacNeil in support. MacNeil returned the ball to MacDonald, who juggled briefly before beating the last defender and touching down. Vincent Hartconverted.
Accies were finally enjoying some ball and they were soon back on the attack after Hawks missed touch from a penalty. The hosts ran the ball back into the Hawks 22, and an excellent offload found Mitchell, who ran over for their second try. Hart converted again in the strong crosswind to bring the hosts within a point.
Hawks responded strongly before the break. Muirhead broke from halfway and nearly scored a terrific solo effort, only to be stopped by a last-gasp Henry Widdowson tackle. Hawks stayed composed, recycled the ball, and Shaheen soon crashed over near the posts. McCartney converted on the stroke of half-time.
Horizontal rain joined the howling wind over the interval, creating brutal conditions for the second half. With the wind now at their backs, Accies immediately looked to make their advantage count. A penalty near halfway was smashed into the left corner by Hart, giving the hosts a five-metre line-out. They worked through the phases well, and MacDonald sniped over for his second.
The game then settled into a cagey stalemate. The rain cleared, but greasy conditions and a swirling wind made it difficult for either side to string together sustained attacks. Hawks enjoyed plenty of field position but were repeatedly punished by unforced errors.
With 15 minutes remaining, Accies surged back into the Hawks half. Slick handling from their backs released Widdowson to kick downfield, and Hawks knocked on in their 22 under pressure. Accies had a scrum in an excellent attacking position, and their increasingly dominant set-piece won a penalty. They kicked to the corner, but their line-out drill failed at the crucial moment and Hawks cleared. Accies kept the pressure on, though, and were soon hammering at the visitors’ line again.
Penalties around the Hawks 22 were mounting under pressure, and MacDonald completed his hat-trick with another quick tap, running under the posts to put Accies ahead for the first time.
Hawks’ restart went deep and Accies knocked on inside their own 22, gifting the visitors an immediate opportunity to strike back. Then a penalty for not releasing in the tackle gave Hawks a platform just five metres out. Shaheen carried to within inches of the line. Hawks recycled, Shaheen picked and went again, and this time he touched down.
Tempers flaredwith James Campbell and Ffye Donaldson shown yellow-cards for their parts in the scuffle. Hawks were awarded the penalty with minutes to play though, but Accies refused to give in. MacDonald stripped the ball near halfway and fed replacement Lawrie, who raced down the wing and kicked ahead. Hawks touched down for a goal-line drop-out, but Accies countered through the same combination, and this Lawrie raced over for the try.
Hawks still had one final chance. They won possession from the kick-off and attacked, winning a penalty on the hosts 22. Shaheen tapped and went once again, driving forward. Hawks hammered away from close-range before eventually going wide, but were bundled into touch at the corner just before the ball was grounded.
Millimetres in it, but Accies took the win, and or the second week running, Glasgow Hawks head coach Phil Smith was left to rue his side’s errors when in strong positions:
“Disappointment would be one word for that,” he said. “There’s an internal rage though, covering a few factors; game management, individual decisions … maybe some refereeing decisions towards the end. When you add all that up, it’s frustrating.
“The boys put a lot in there. We were clearly ahead in the first half, then fought back into it, then they had a chance to take it at the death. Had we scored there, I think it would perhaps have been a deserving win. In the first half in particular,we were more clinical than last week against Watsonians, but it was coulda, shoulda, woulda in the end.”
 
Teams –
Edinburgh Accies: H Widdowson; F MacNeil, R Chalmers, F Anderson, R Mitchell; V Heart, C MacDonald; R Cromar, C Black, M Robertson, J Nadal, S Whittaker, P Hayes, G Hall, M Erasmus. Subs used: F Donaldson, A Kinsella, G Barlow, H Lawrie, J Sole, C Sholto-Douglas, J Lawrie.
Glasgow Hawks: E Muirhead; J Couper, M Waugh, J Pinkerton, R Flett; D McCartney, G Johnstone; K Shanahan, T McTier, J Campbell, A Orr, M Crumlish, A Syme, Y Shaheen, C Nolan. Subs used: F Anderson, A Rutherford, A Young, B Provan, C Louden, G Cruickshank, O Godwin.
Referee: David Young