Lasswade 7 Hillhead/Jordanhill 10

Sorry, fellow supporters, too depressed by the result to write a amtch report.

Here is what the Hills' reporter wrote and it reads fair enough to me.

"It was a delighted “Hills” head coach, Bill Macdonald, at the end of this very tight game who was effusive about the performance and noted :” It was a fantastic second half show full of discipline and the correct attitude from all and our willingness to stick in and play rugby that won this vital game for us.” Assistant coach, Chris Reid, added : “ It was great for the team to have so many supporters present, as that definitely gave us all a lift”.

"The game itself was notable for the considerable efforts of both sets of players to try to play and entertain given the extremely adverse conditions in which the game took place. A snell south-westerly blew continuously, and the underfoot conditions were very heavy, hardly conducive to running rugby, but both “Hills” and Lasswade gave it their all. Hitting with the wind, “Hills” failed to settle and the hosts were soon ahead with a breakaway try (by Ben Black) from some twenty five metres out which was converted easily (by Bernie Hennessey). But “Hills” came back into via a penalty from AJ McFarlane after ten minutes, and thereafter the tale of the first half was Lasswade’s soaking up with some ease “Hills” attempts to breach the line and taking every opportunity themselves to take the play to the visitors. “Hills” defended stoutly during this period when in theory they should have been more on the attack, but they reached the break only the one score adrift which was testimony to a spirited performance.

"The narrative of the second half was almost a replay of the first in that the team playing against the wind, the “Hills” had much the better of both the first and second phases of play and indeed the longer the game went on the more Lasswade seemed to tire and fade as an attacking force. At the heart of the visitors’ show was a dominant scrummage where the amply proportioned members of the front row union, Messers Urquhart and Mackenzie, ably assisted by Phyfer and Thom turned on the heat against their opposite numbers. At their heels, scrum half Ross Thomson produced a terrier like performance to drive his team on with darting runs and excellent ball clearance. The clinching score, when it came after some sixty minutes, was the culmination of the “Hills” persistent attacking and pressure in the home twenty two which produced some close range line outs and scrums and eventually could not be legitimately resisted. A penalty try was awarded which McFarlane goaled.

"Try as hard as they could in the remaining fifteen minutes , Lasswade could not really make much impression on the “Hills”, and indeed the visitors might have added to their lead, but just narrowly failed on two occasions. The admirable match referee David Sutherland’s final whistle brought great relief and cheer to the “Hills” players, coaches, physiotherapists and supporters."