Win gives Dalziel glimmer of hope in promotion chase

Apr 15 2009 by Andrew Weston, Wishaw Press

Cambuslang....... 24 Dalziel RFC......... 34

DALZIEL RFC kept the pressure on second-placed Dumfries at the weekend after a bonus point victory that keeps their faint promotion hopes alive with just two matches of the campaign remaining.

With Dumfries also securing a victory on Saturday, the Motherwell side are still five points behind Dumfries and are set for a crunch league encounter at Dalziel Park against unbeaten champions Howe of Fife this weekend in another must-win game.

Scrum half Andy McLaren failed a last-minute fitness test on Saturday and his place in the Dalziel starting XV was taken by Robert Simpson.

The visitors had all the pressure in the opening ten minutes. Andy Hill missed a penalty when a Cambuslang player was penalised for not releasing the ball in a ruck.

Hill almost got the first score when he charged down a wayward clearance kick but the ball rolled into touch as the big lock attempted to pick up the loose ball.

Dalziel's first try ranks as one of the best for the season.

A poor clearance kick was fielded by stand-off Ross McCaulay.

He made good ground before passing to Blake Whitehead who popped the ball to Barry Turnbull who ran for the corner before putting in a reverse pass to Andy Hill.

Hill quickly fed inside to Robert Simpson who dived in between the posts for a superb opening score.

Hill kicked the extras.

Five minutes later Dalziel got their second when Simpson picked up from a ruck and surged down the blind side.

The number nine then passed to back row forward Craig Simmonds who made good ground - bursting through a couple of tackles before releasing Paul Beer on the crashball to score near the corner.

However, a lapse in concentration allowed the Cambuslang stand-off to dance through two attempted tackles to score in the corner.

Both teams were reduced to 14 men after Dalziel's centre Gillon Duguid and McLaren of Cambuslang were red carded by the referee for exchanging punches.

Dalziel played with seven forwards, releasing wing forward Blake Whithead to play in the centre and the move worked immediately.

A tap penalty followed by quick ball from a ruck saw Whitehead burst clear to score between the posts and with Hill converting Dalziel went in at half time 19-5 ahead.

Dalziel failed to consolidate their lead and again poor tackling saw the Cambuslang fly half break from behind a five-metre scrum to score between the posts.

The Dalziel forwards started to exert some pressure and after four successive rucks the ball was fed wide with Blake Whitehead diving over for Dalziel's fourth try which secured the bonus point for Dalziel.

Prop Stephen Findlay then got in on the act.

A grubber kick was picked up by Craig Lewis who jinxed his way past two defenders.

The ball was fed along the line to the prop who found himself on the wing and he dived over the line to score.

The five points should have opened the floodgates but two quick tries with one converted brought Cambuslang back to within five points of Dalziel.

However, man of the match Blake Whitehead had the final say after great handling by John Harris then Fraser Duguid created the space for the powerful centre to score in the corner for his third and Dalziel's sixth try of the afternoon.