GHA 2nd XV 29 v Glasgow Hawks 2nd XV 28
Saturday 20th September 2025 – Braidholm
Arnold Clark Intercity Reserve League Division 1
Hawks made the short trip across the city to face unbeaten league leaders GHA in what proved to be a highly charged local derby, packed with thunderous tackles and ending in a nail-biting finish.
A stiff downfield wind favoured the home side in the first half, and their kickers used it to good effect, consistently finding space behind the Hawks’ defence. Their back division looked sharp and composed in the early exchanges. For 15 minutes Hawks’ determined tackling kept them at bay. Eventually, the pressure told. GHA crossed in the left corner and, almost immediately after, added a second try close to the posts to establish a 12–0 lead.
At that point, the match threatened to run away from Hawks. Their attacking strategy relied heavily on their powerful forwards, who drove relentlessly up field, only to see their efforts squandered by backs that treated possession far too loosely. To compound matters, their lineout was in complete disarray.
Then the entire tone of the contest shifted. Prop forward Finlay Anderson launched a charging run, only to be pole axed in a horrendous head clash with a GHA player. Anderson was forced to leave the field with a nasty gash requiring hospital treatment, while the offender was shown a straight red card. From that moment, GHA seemed to lose their composure, and Hawks found a way back into the game.
In the 25th minute Hawks finally made their pressure tell. From a well-controlled driven lineout, Bryan Hall was on hand to claim the touchdown and reduce the deficit to 12–5.
Just nine minutes later, they struck again with a superb piece of play from deep. From a scrum 40 metres out, scrum half, Cameron Louden picked up cleanly from the base and linked smartly with stand-off Gavin Cruickshanks, who hit top gear and sliced straight through the GHA defence. He touched down under the posts and added the conversion himself, 12 -12
Just before the halftime whistle GHA kicked a long range penalty and Hawks bringing the bringing the half time score to GHA 15 Hawks 12
At this stage this writer was called away and any comments on the second half may just be hearsay. This was a disappointing position as this game was turning into a classic.
However fortunately!
Second Half
Player-coach Mark Barrowman reflected on the second-half performance, noting:
“I was really happy with the way the team stuck to the task against a well-drilled GHA. In the end, numbers told, having only 18 players and losing two of them early to injury. The second half went much the same way as the first, with both teams scrapping for every inch of territory and struggling to get into their rhythm due to the physicality of the game. No team was able to really exert any dominance. Not for the lack of trying, just two evenly matched sides. However, what pleased me most was the fact that Hawks finished as the stronger of the two teams in getting two late tries and were unlucky not to win the game. For a squad of 18 to go to the league leaders and feel disappointed not to win shows we are capable of competing in this league.”
Three tries were scored in the second half, with Bryan Hall (6) completing his brace, while Jaheem Thomas (13) and Andrew Greenan (15) also crossed the line.

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