Dalziel seal win with last-minute penalty

Oct 8 2008 by Andrew Weston, Wishaw Press

Dumfries RFC 3 Daziel RFC 6

DALZIEL Rugby Club went second in the Hydro Electric National League Division One with a narrow away victory over Dumfries on Saturday.

In dreadful conditions, the Motherwell club left it late for the second week in succession – sealing the win in the last minute thanks to a monster penalty kick from his own half by Andy Hill.

Torrential rain accompanied the team on the bus journey south and on arrival at Park Farm it was obvious that it was going to be a tough afternoon with a gale force wind and driving rain greeting the visitors.

Dalziel started the game playing into the wind and for the whole of the first half denied Dumfries a score.

Indeed, the visitors even managed a few sorties into Dumfries territory and came close with an Andy Hill penalty.

The second half started with Dalziel having the wind behind them they, however, failed to take good advantage of it and through poor decision-making and ineffective kicking allowed Dumfries to play rugby in the Dalziel half and thus put themselves under unnecessary pressure.

This is, however, a team who will lie down to no one and the defence to a man was magnificent throughout the whole of the game.

Ten minutes into the half Hill converted a penalty and that remained the only score until five minutes to go when Dalziel conceded a penalty which Dumfries slotted and it looked like the match would be drawn.

However with a minute remaining Dalziel were awarded a penalty inside their own half and up stood Andy Hill to convert from around 70 metres.

It was a superb kick to bring about a great win in such conditions, resulting in only the second defeat at home in two seasons for the Dumfries team.

In their next league outing Dalziel will take on ninth placed Edinburgh University on Saturday at Dalziel Park, kicking off at 3pm.

Dalziel squad against Dumfries: Barry Turnbull, Robert Simpson, Ross McAuley, John McAuley, Andy Hill, John Harris, John Goldie, Fraser Duguid, Ross Donnachie, Blake Whitehead, Kris Watters, George Sloan, Craig Simmonds, John Phillips, Steven Findlay, Paul Beer, Les Barclay, Stephen Baird.