Dalziel cling on to hope of promotion

Apr 15 2009 by Andrew Weston, Wishaw Press

IT’S not just Motherwell Football club that face a mouthwatering must-win match this weekend.

Rugby counterparts Dalziel RFC host runaway National League One champions Howe of Fife at Dalziel Park on Saturday – a match they have to win to keep themselves in with a chance of joining the Fife club in Premiership Division Three next season.

“We have got ourselves in a great situation,” Honorary President Willie Talbot told the Wishaw Press.

“Normally at this time of the season there is very little to play for.

“But it’s a pretty daunting task and will be a tall order.

“It will be difficult enough trying to score four tries to secure a bonus point let alone beat the champions.”

Dalziel have been playing catch-up for most of this season and only a superb run of league results, eight wins from their last nine outings, has kept them on the tail of second-top Dumfries.

The Borders side again matched Dalziel’s bonus point victory against Cambuslang on Saturday with a similar result at home to East Kilbride.

Dumfries have a five point advantage over the Motherwell club and with just two games of the league campaign remaining, nothing more than a bonus point win over undefeated Howe of Fife will do for Dalziel.

The champions have won all 19 of their league matches this season and sent shockwaves round Scottish club rugby back in February after knocking out Glasgow Hawks in the Scottish Cup .

Nevertheless Talbot believes Dalziel have it in them to cause an upset and keep the pressure on Dumfries.

“When we played Howe of Fife earlier in the season we gifted them three tries,” he said.

“No one has really put them under pressure this season.

“If we can cut out the silly mistakes then hopefully we can be the ones that put them under pressure for once.”

He continued: “They have also won the league already and with a sevens competition on this weekend maybe they will not field their strongest XV.

“But I’m sure they will want to go up with a 100 per cent record. Not many teams do that.”

Dalziel will be looking to in-form back-row forward Blake Whitehead to provide the inspiration to cause an upset after he bagged a hattrick against Cambuslang on Saturday.

Talbot said: “I don’t think it is giving too much away by saying we will be running the channels on Saturday looking to bring our back row into the game.

“They will look to feed the ball wide so we’ll be looking to counter that.”

Meanwhile Dalziel’s second string can secure promotion with a home victory against Ardrossan on Saturday.