Academicals gain revenge

GLASGOW Academicals avenged their September defeat across the fence,

though yesterday's New Anniesland match would have been returned to the

shop if it had been a Christmas toy. It produced only one try apiece for

Academicals and their Glasgow High/Kelvinside neighbours.

Calum MacGregor scored Academicals' 17 other points with four penalty

goals, a drop goal, and the conversion of the Martin Lightbody try which

took the home lead to 16-10 after 53 minutes. The try was the product of

one rare passage of continuity. Too often the home rugby broke down or

ran into a cul de sac.

Academicals would have won by a barrowload and more if the rest of

their game could have reflected their lineout superiority exerted by

Chas Afuakwah and Gordon Mackay. Stephen Baird, however, was needed to

sweep up the plentiful loose offerings,

and when one such untidy lineout ball escaped the cleaner, after Bassi

had been denied in the

right corner, Stewart Whitelaw pounced for the GHK try.

Academicals' try, too, had its origins on the touchline. Mackay won at

the tail, Afuakwah peeled, the rest of the pack drove and rolled, and

from Steve Thompson's feed Calum MacGregor and Alan Ker spread passes to

the right for Lightbody to run round behind the posts.

GHK's defensive play, however, was mainly sound, Bassi producing the

highlight with a try-saving tackle on John Mason after Jeremy Hart had

slipped two tackles. The security was not upset even by the absence of

the district five, the loss of Walter Malcolm with a head knock after

half an hour, and the consequent amendments. Michael Blackie filled the

gap, though swapping places with Gordon Peterson as necessary. Peterson

carried on with his hooker's duties on GHK's scrummage put-in and

throw-in but switched to a flanker's role for Academicals' ball.

Bassi kicked three penalty goals. One opened the scoring in the first

minute, the second took the visitors to a 10-9 lead at half-time, and

the third closed the game's account after Gordon McClymont had been

obstructed in chasing his own chip to the posts.

That last score was scant reward for GHK's most lively phase, typified

by the assault initiated by Murray Wallace's thrust off a free kick.

Mackay denied the GHK flanker and after play had spread to the left and

back to the right Mackay again thwarted Wallace.

Glasgow Academicals -- J F Mason;

M Lightbody, A G Ker, S M Simmers,

J D Hart; C G MacGregor, G T MacGregor; S A Baird, R Cairney,

A C Sturgess, I S Jarvie, C Afuakwah, D M Beattie, G T Mackay, S P

Thompson.

Glasgow High/Kelvinside -- H Bassi;

J D G Wilson, I McDiarmid, G S Macnab, D Michie; T J Sanderson, G S

McClymont; J A Couper, G L Peterson, G T McKee,

R Dunlop, S Whitelaw, M I Wallace,

W H Malcolm, A Stark. Replacement -- M Blackie for Malcolm (32

minutes).

Referee -- M S Clayton (Whitecraigs).

Played yesterday

Border League -- Jed-Forest 17, Hawick 9; Melrose 6, Gala 3; Kelso 11,

Selkirk 11.

Other matches -- Edinburgh Accies 12,

Co-optimists 4; Glasgow Accies 21, Glasgow High/Kelvinside 13; Berwick

15, Alnwick 15; Heriot's 29, Watsonians 15; Aberdeen Select 58, Exiles

15.