Extra-time try takes Dalziel through in Bowl

Mar 5 2008

Stewartry 7 Dalziel 19

DALZIEL made it into the last eight of the Scottish Hydro Electric Bowl but needed 20 minutes of extra time to secure their hard-fought victory.

And they now must wait for a winner in the Allan Glen’s v Strathendrick match before discovering their quarter-final opponents.

Stewartry opened the scoring on Saturday with a well-executed try when good handling by the hosts and poor tackling by Dalziel paved the way for John Kerr to cross over, with Donald Dunlop adding the conversion for 7-0.

Dalziel drew level just before half-time when a poor clearance kick saw full-back Robert Simpson collect the loose ball and dart past a defender before releasing Derek McMillan, who powered his way through to score in the corner. Andy Hill slotted the conversion for 7-7.

Despite dominating early in the second half, Dalziel failed to take advantage.

With two minutes remaining, the Motherwell side were awarded a penalty 40 metres out but Hill’s kick fell short, and Stewartry raced upfield in an attempt to win the match.

When Hill was penalised for a body-check, Dunlop was left with a 25-metre kick, but it drifted just wide as the referee blew to end the regulation 80 minutes.

Dalziel stepped up a gear in the first period of extra time and scrum-half Alan Watson made a 10-metre break from a maul before being stopped 10 metres short.

The forwards set up a series of mauls and from the seventh phase Andy Hill crashed over for the all-important score, kicking his own conversion for 14-7.

Young winger Lee McWhinnie put the game beyond doubt with a third and final try in the corner for 19-7.