Gala 23

Hawick 15

Atholl Innes at Netherdale

GALA team manager Peter Dods was emphatic about his team's BT Cup win over Hawick on Saturday at Netherdale.

“We are still in the cup,” he said – and this after a win that might yet help to retain their Premiership status next season.

Gala have yet to play at Hawick, who are in the driving seat, and Boroughmuir at home while the Greens have yet to visit Melrose.

With the clubs facing each other on Saturday week in a relegation-threatened contest, it was inevitable that this cup-tie served up a cautious approach.

Gala, who conceded 51 points to Hawick only last month, regained some pride with a confidence-boosting victory in a match which, if not spectacular, had the crowd biting their nails until the final whistle.

“It was all about improving our performance on the past two weeks, and we did that. We held the upper hand in the scrums and our line-out was outstanding, and so I was pretty pleased with the result,” said Gala coach Chris Dalgleish.

“Our management of the game was not the best at the end of the match. However, the result was a shot in the arm for us.”

Gala led by 13 points until Lee Armstrong’s late try for Hawick closed the gap, but it came too late to deny the home side victory to boost their hopes of Premiership rugby next season.

Hawick believe that they have an advantage with the game on Saturday of next week at Mansfield Park.

And coach Nikki Walker hopes some players will return from injury.

“That will be the biggest game for us. Yes, we were disappointed with the defeat as we had a strong enough squad out to win the match,” he said.

Hawick were always chasing the game after Gregor Hunter and Ali Weir exchanged penalties.

Hunter added a second penalty before a break by George Lott set up the opening score for Matt Carryer, which Hunter converted.

However, Hawick were back in contention when Grant Huggan touched down from a superb Kyle Brunton break and Weir converted for Hawick to trail only 10-13 at the break.

The game ebbed and flowed after the interval and Dwayne Burrows’ try and Hunter conversion, along with a Hunter penalty, put Gala back in the driving seat.

Hawick staged a remarkable finish despite Kirk Ford in the sin-bin and Armstrong scored.

Although Lott was also sent to sin-bin, Gala held out to book a place in the quarter-finals.

But with everything to play for, the season has a long way to run.

Gala: G. Speirs; R. Combe, L. Berg, G. Mein, D. Burrows; G. Hunter, G. Lott; C. Keen, M. Carryer, T. Skeet, S. Johnstone, R. Louw, C. Weir, S. Chapman, G. Adams. Replacements: D. Brooker, C. Reynolds, F. Welsh, P. Hendry, C. Robertson.