Hawks scrape win against capital side

IT WASN’T pretty, but Glasgow Hawks got what they needed from a tense and scrappy encounter against fellow Tennent’s Premiership strugglers Edinburgh Accies at Raeburn Place on Saturday afternoon.

The victory was secured by the away team’s scrum domination during a turgid 10-minute spell midway through the second half, during which Accies conceded a series of six or seven penalties before Harry Walbaum, an exchange referee from England, finally lost patience and sent Accies’ teenage tight-head Cole Imrie to the sin-bin, followed soon after by starting loose-head James Pearse, with a penalty try also being awarded.

Accies had been the better team up until that point, with two penalties from stand-off Vincent Hart, plus tries from Robbie Davis and Robbie Chalmers (below) before and after half-time, giving the home side an 18-5 lead.

The penalty-try reduced the gap to just six points, and when Glasgow Warriors pro Matt Smith bustled over for his second try of the match (to go with his opening score from a driven line-out in the first quarter) there was only one point in it.

Then the physicality of Bruce Flockhart – another Glasgow pro – rattled Accies into conceding a ruck penalty under the shadow of their own posts, and Ross Thompson stepped forward to drill home the three points which secured the win.

It was Hawks’ second win of the season, lifting them eight points clear of still winless Accies, who are glued to the foot of the table with just four bonus points to their name.