Gala MATCH REPORTS
RBS Premier 1


Gala 27   Aberdeen (Cup QF) 17   (Away)

We are first on the scoreboard but make it hard for ourselves despite playing with the wind, to the point we turn around only 13-11 ahead. Aberdeen then go ahead after the break to 17-13, but we dig deep and get another 2 tries to go through to the semi finals with a 17-27 win.
Aberdeen take it to us from the start when a good offload puts their 13 through after running a good line and we only get them stopped on our 10m line. They keep progressing and into our 22 where we get a scrum, and concede a free kick at the scrum. They go for scrum but knock on going wide. Touchjudge has flag out when we break from scrum and its penalty to Aberdeen, put to touch and another penalty at lineout. Kick this time, missed, but we've hardly touched the ball in 7 minutes.
11 minutes & great pick up by Pettie following a deliberate knock on by Aberdeen, sees him make good ground before we move it to the opposite wing where Robertson beats the last man & runs in the first try. Millar converts, 0-7 after 12 minutes.
Couple of penalties to us see us with lineout 27m out. Wide and another lineout when chip comes off their player. We go wide and close to scoring, but get a penalty for Millar to make it 0-10.
Geo Graham's box kick following restart is charged down and Aberdeen recover, go quickly wide where they find a gap and are in for a try. Kick misses, 5-10.
We recover restart, Millar kicks to touch where we win the lineout. Wide, then change direction and through, but the pass to put Keddie away is called forward. Penalty to Aberdeen at scrum to clear.
24 minutes and Millar is close, but lost forward. Aberdeen clear to their 10m from scrum, where our lineout is loose, but we keep hold. Borthwick & Robertson make ground and off to Geo Graham, only to knock on 5m out.
32 minutes and penalty, plus 10m for not 10m, sees their 18 binned within a minute of coming on. Millar kicks to make it 5-13, but they close the gap immediately, 8-13.
Great restart by Millar sees ball bounce into touch 15m out, but they can only clear to 20m out. We catch & drive to 5m out, but despite Aberdeen player clearly in from the side of the maul it is an Aberdeen scrum. We get a big shunt on and get put-in, and another drive on but it goes loose and we barely recover it, but then get another penalty. We go for the scrum, but Aberdeen hold it this time forcing us to go wide, where we are close again only for Aberdeen to pick us off, clear to our 10m line, and win our lineout. They make ground and get a penalty on our 22 as Dods is yellow carded for deliberate knock on. Kick converted as final play of half, 11-13.

Aberdeen have us under pressure from restart making use of extra man, and after 5 minutes put through a drop goal to go in front 14-13.
Aberdeen then put a kick through that Robertson forces to touch with his foot out as he picks up. He takes a quick throw but its called back for a discussion between officials about the touch rules. Result is our lineout, only to lose it and they are quickly up to our line. Pick and go 4 times before penalty to Aberdeen, which is kicked to make it 17-13 and playing into the wind its looking like a big task.
14 minutes into half and our penalty is put to touch 5m out. Drive stopped so we revert to umpteen pick and drives, before going wide and while Auld gets caught he gets it away to Somerville to run in try beating the last defenders. Millar converts, 17-20.
20 minutes and penalty to us is kicked to touch 5m out when their 3 is carded. We catch and drive to line, but given as held up. We get a penalty at scrum, and go for another. We get another drive on but its turned and they get put in. We get another penalty at scrum and go for another scrum, get the drive on again and this time its enough for a penalty try. Millar converts, 17-27.
A tense final 17 minutes with both sides having chances, the closest of which was Robertson getting tackled into touch through the corner flag. Officials discuss but given as knocked on, which he admitted was fair, but no further scoring sees us coming away with our place booked in the semi finals.

Team (1-20):
L Pettie, C Mackintosh, C Hogg, C Weir, Gary Graham, C Keddie, B Murray, E Dods, Geo Graham (capt), L Millar, C Robertson, C Borthwick, C Auld, G Somerville, A McLean
Subs: L Bertram, S Cairns, T Weir, B Turner, G Young