Dalziel keep their promotion hopes alive with victory

Mar 4 2009 by Andrew Weston, Wishaw Press

DALZIEL Rugby Club produced a second-half masterclass to keep their promotion hopes alive on Sunday.

The Motherwell club scored four tries - one when they were down to just 13 men - to secure a vital bonus-point win that saw them leapfrog their hosts in the league into fourth place.

With Wanderers’ new artificial pitch at Murrayfield still not having International Board clearance, this rearranged fixture was moved to Inverleith in the heart of Scotland's capital.

Talented centre John Harris was missing for the visitors as he was on Glasgow under-18 duty but brothers Gillan (man of the match) and Fraser Duguid teamed up superbly in midfield throughout the contest.

The first half saw Dalziel playing into rain and a driving wind but they soon went ahead when lock Andy Hill kicked a penalty.

The lead was to change five times in the first half and the Edinburgh side went ahead when poor tackling allowed them to move the ball wide and score in the corner. sHill hit back with another long-range penalty but this was cancelled out when a Dalziel player was caught offside at a ruck.

With the clock running down to half-time, young winger Lee McWhinnie made a break for the line only to be held up just short.

The referee, former Scotland and Watsonians wing forward Cammy Mather, adjudged that an Edinburgh hand had been used illegally in the resultant ruck and Hill kicked a superb penalty from wide out on the wing to give Dalziel a narrow 9-8 lead at the break.

After the restart, Dalziel stretched their advantage thanks to an opportunistic effort by Ross McCaulay.

The number 10 chased after his own grubber kick and always had the edge on the retreating full-back, scoring wide of the posts.

Dalziel were now well on top and an Andy Hill penalty extended the visitors’ lead before referee Mather awarded Dalziel a penalty try that put the result beyond doubt.

Winger Vic Czarnoki sprinted past his opposite number and chipped the ball over the advancing Wanderers defenders.

But he was held back illegally and referee Mather had no hesitation in awarding Dalziel the penalty try. which Hill converted.

Murrayfield slotted a penalty soon afterwards before Dalziel quickly lost two players to the sin bin after both sides had been warned about their ill-discipline.

Prop Craig Lewis was the first unfortunate Dalziel player to be yellow-carded.

It appeared his own team-mates pushed him over at a ruck but the referee adjudged that he had dived into the ruck.

Worse was to follow minutes later when Andy Hill was sin-binned for tackling a player within five metres of a quick tapped penalty.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, it was Dalziel who scored next.

After build-up play involving backs and forwards, second rower Paul Beer managed to stretch out and score in the corner.

Full-back Robert Simpson extended the lead with another penalty which meant Dalziel had scored eight points when down to13 men.

Their stretched defence, however, saw the home side score a late consolation try before Dalziel managed to secure a bonus point with their fourth try of the afternoon through flanker Blake Whitehead.

This Saturday Dalziel are at home to East Kilbride and will be looking for maximum points against a side currently sitting ninth in the leagsue.