Dundee HSFP 19 - 26 Gala: Dundee double bid ended as Gala book Murrayfield trip

GALA capped a solid return to the top flight of the Scottish club game with a prized place in the final of this month’s Scottish Cup, seeing off a jaded Dundee side who were clearly feeling the strain of chasing a league and cup double.

Head coach George Graham was delighted with his side’s workmanlike performance, which takes the Netherdale side to Murrayfield for the first time since 1999, denying the Taysiders a third trip to HQ in the competition.

“We have had a great season, what with coming third in the league on our return, which gives us a place in next season’s British and Irish Cup, and this win at a ground where no other team has won since February 2011. I am very proud of the team,” said a delighted Graham.

His opposite number, Ian Rankin, admitted to being gutted for his side and now has the task of raising them for Saturday’s league game against Stirling County, which could see his side win the league, but only if Melrose fail to pick up a try- winning bonus on Friday night at Meggetland.

“It has been a hard four weeks, trying to keep ourselves going in both competitions, but credit to Gala – they were more cute than us and defended well, though we made too many mistakes. A semi-final is a terrible place to lose. It’s going to be a difficult week, but I’ll back my guys to be up for it on Saturday,” said Rankin.

Significantly, the Dundee director of rugby did not introduce a replacement until late into the second-half, whereas Graham was happy to keep his subs rolling in a tough, demanding game, played on a bone-hard pitch, in front of a vociferous crowd, many of whom had made the long trip from the Borders.

Gala were the more inventive right from the start, taking the lead in six minutes through the excellent Lee Millar, a product of north-east rugby, having learned his trade at Moray.

The stand-off had a fine first- half, slotting two penalties and a conversion, but going off the boil in the second, no doubt rattled by picking up a yellow card for a high tackle.

In his ten-minute absence, full-back Andy McLean kicked a long-range penalty before going on to score the deciding try of the game in the 73rd minute.

In between, the visitors had regularly troubled the home defence, scoring two tries of which scrum-half George Graham’s effort was the pick just before half-time.

His quickly-taken tap penalty caught the home side napping, enabling the talented No 9 to sail through the Dundee defence to make the score 16-8 at the break.

A penalty by winger Jack Steele just after the interval reduced the gap, adding to an earlier effort, though he had failed to convert the first-half touchdown of lock Ritchie Hawkins.

The defining moment of the game came in 44 minutes, when hesitancy in the home defence allowed winger Craig Robertson to nip over the line to give Gala a commanding 21-11 lead.

Dundee rallied through a third penalty by Steele, though he missed the chance to tie up the scores after full back Cameron Wyper had raced in for a try in 65 minutes. The McLean try wrapped up the scoring in an absorbing, demanding cup tie to send Gala off to Murrayfield, where they will meet holders Ayr.