Deserved victory but below par performance

Roger Graham • Published 18 Jan 2010 14:00 0 Comments

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TRY TIME: Wanderers scrum-half Andy McDougall goes over for the second home try of the afternoon. Picture: George Munro

WANDERERS 27

HAWICK YM 14

AT the end of the day Wanderers secured the win, deservedly so, and the bonus point, but they will be aware that it wasn't the finest of performances.

After scoring three tries in the first half, their display in the second period, with the slight breeze behind them, was anything but impressive.

They lacked structure and cohesion, took too many wrong options, and the overall result was a messy half full of unforced errors, hesitation and indecision.

It is no bad thing to win when failing to play well - the best teams turn it into a habit - but the coaches will have plenty to get their teeth into in the week ahead.

Having beaten the Borderers on their own patch earlier in the campaign, Wanderers entered this game in confident mood. Top of the league by a comfortable margin, they took the field with every reason to justify that self-belief.

The opening quarter was marked by Hawick's continual killing of the ball in rucks and home stand-off Ant Devlin slewed a penalty attempt wide of the right post from 45 metres and just to the left of the posts.

In 22 minutes, however, Greenock got points on the board with a well worked try. Possession was won from a scrum in the middle of the park, the ball was switched left and Leigh Tyley squeezed over in the corner. Devlin hooked the conversion and it remained 5-0.

Soon after Devlin chose to go on his own with an overlap outside him but, when Hawick were penalised again for holding on, Wanderers kicked for position in the corner.

Yet again Hawick were penalised for killing the ball in the ruck and scrum-half Andy McDougall reacted to take a quick kick and dive over for a second try. Devlin missed the kick, but Wanderers were setting the tone.

They were fortunate to survive when Hawick stand-off Welsh was wide with a relatively simple penalty then YM forward Turnbull was sin-ninned following a lineout in 34 minutes. While he was off, McDougall again showed excellent opportunism to take advantage of a dropped ball and add a third home try 15 yards to the left of the posts. Devlin this time converted to make it 17-0.

Hawick No. 8 Davis followed Turnbull off the park for a yellow card offence as half-time loomed, but it was the visitors, down to 13 men, who scored right on the stroke of the interval when Young sold an outrageous dummy to go in under the posts for a try which Welsh converted.

At 17-7, Hawick were still in the game. Four minutes after the break, Devlin saw a penalty kick drift wide before a good follow-up tackle by left wing replacement Gregg Workman prevented a counter attack by Hawick.

A fine move through the backs by the hosts took play into the visitors' 22 and when Devlin converted a straightforward penalty to make it 20-7 the home support settled back in anticipation of further scores.

It didn't quite work out that way. Wanderers became embroiled in a series of errors and, gradually, Hawick began to sense an opportunity.

Their pack became energised and a great run on the counter by flanker Sutherland up the left touchline only failed to bring a try when the final pass to his left wing went forward.

By this time Wanderers had lost any shape to their play and were badly needing to get back to doing the basics.

The visitors looked the more urgent team and, at times, the fitter too, as they took advantage of Wanderers' slackness.

Then, with four minutes left for play, Jason Smith left the referee with little choice but to send him off after a late tackle on Young.

Two minutes later, however, Wanderers grabbed their fourth try and, with it, the bonus point. Devlin took McDougall's pass and ran 40 yards through the YM defence before going over in the right corner.

He added the goal points with a kick from near the touchline to redeem what was an otherwise below par performance.

Hawick, however, had a sting to the tail of the game when scrum-half Campbell burrowed over following a ruck in front of the home posts, Welsh adding the conversion.

The win, along with the bonus point, was welcome, but the display was perhaps indicative of the festive season lay-off.

But in days gone by, this is a game Greenock may well have lost.

Wanderers: Watson; J Smith, K Smith, Murray, Tyley; Devlin, McDougall; D Smith, McMichael, M Lavelle; Gray, Duncan; Abernethy, Robb, Clark.

This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 18 Jan 10

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