"SCUNNERED".
That was how Hawks' Assistant Coach Peter Laverie summed up his feelings after this epic encounter, which Currie won via an injury-time try, which, if proposed by a Hollywood script writer would probably have been dismissed as: "too far-fetched to be credible".
This was no meaningless end-of-season fixture. Currie needed to win, to clamber above Hawick and Gala into the Premiership Play-Offs. Hawks also needed a win, to avoid the promotion-relegation play-off, and, knowing victory was essential - both sides went for it.
The strong wind blowing down the pitch was a factor: a couple of early Hawks clearances were blown dead - the Glasgow side having first use of the breeze.
Hawks spent most of the game defending, which they did brilliantly. A wonderful scything run by Currie's Cypriot centre Fidias Efythymiou early in the game took play to the Hawks' 22, where it remained for several minutes, before a 70-metre Jack Steele clearance took play back to the Currie red zone, where the home team showed they too could defend stoutly.
The breakthrough came in 19 minutes, Hawks' Under-20 lock Andy Davidson taking a close-range line-out - his first touch since replacing Andy Kirkland seconds before - Hawks moved the maul forward and Fin Gillies dived over for an unconverted try.
Play then roared back and forth until, in the final minute of the first-half, fierce Currie pressure was finally rewarded when prop Graeme Carson barrelled over from close range to square matters.
Currie were first to threaten after the break, getting an early reward when another of the Scottish Under-20 kids, winger Ruaridh Smith, ran a terrific line for a try in the corner. But Hawks re-grouped, patiently went through the phases and in 52 minutes it was all-square again after Tommy Spinks picked-up at the base of an advancing scrum and blasted through a convenient gap for a try.
As time ran out, with a Hawks team severely-handicapped by injuries defending stoutly, it looked as if their brave resistance would earn them a draw. Then came heartbreak in injury time.
Currie won a close-range line-out and went through the phases; Hawks stood firm, but up went Andrew McMenemy's arm for a penalty to Currie right under the posts.
With Jack Semple lining-up his kick, half the Currie team could not watch. Semple then slammed the ball off the post but, in a lesson to the national side, he caught the rebound, moved the ball right and the impressive Travis Brooks' long pass was snaffled by Smith for his second try. What a finish.
Currie coach Ben Cairns said: "Not having played for three weeks didn't help, but we rose to the occasion and hopefully we have timed our effort right for the play-offs.
"It was a great winning try but I'd far rather Jack had kicked that penalty. The boys put their bodies on the line, kept going and got their reward."
For Hawks, Peter Laverie said: "Both sides played good running rugby, both had chances, we defended really well, but injuries hurt us - how it ended was heart-breaking.
"But we still have one last chance to avoid the play-offs against Stirling on Saturday and we will go into that really determined to get that win."
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