Glasgow Hawks 25 - 24 Dundee HSFP: Hawks scrape home

This match boasted too many mistakes to reach the heights that some had predicted beforehand but it was still an absorbing, intriguing and close-fought contest.

Dundee returned east convinced that they should have won and they have a point. Their fly-half Rick McKenna did not have a bad game by any standards, he grabbed an interception try when his side was short-handed and he converted it to boot, unfortunately that was the only thing he converted.

The fly-half was successful with just one kick from five attempts, any one of which would have won his side the match, leaving a total of ten points lying on the table. Indeed one simple looking penalty kick came closer to hitting the corner flag than it did the posts. When James Fleming took over the kicking duties to convert his own late try from the touchline it was far too late to affect the outcome.

With Hawks leading by one point and the clock counting down into the final quarter both Fleming and No.8 Ryan Milne wriggled over the Hawks' line but neither man grounded the ball to the satisfaction of the referee. At the opposite end of the field Hawks' prop Adrian Smith rumbled over the Dundee try line where he was cleverly rolled onto his back where he lay as helpless as an upturned turtle.

It wasn't until five minutes from time that the decider eventually arrived from a typical moment of athleticism from Hawks' Ross Miller, who took the man-of-the-match award. The big No.8 picked his line and Dundee's McKenna was in his sights. The fly-half was run over and left for dead as Miller romped to the line. That score meant that Fleming's late try went unrewarded, or under-rewarded, since it did at least ensure his team headed for home with two rather than just the one bonus point.

Hawks had raced into a commanding 13-0 lead aided and abetted by their opposition having two players sent to the sin bin and playing with 13 men for a few minutes of the first half.

Prop Alan Dymock got his enforced rest for a spear tackle and his hooker Simon Forrest followed for handling in the ruck. With the Gossman brothers sidelined with injury it was left to full-back Robbie Hair to provide the fireworks and he didn't disappoint, popping up on Joffy White's shoulder early on to race 60 metres for the first try. The conversion and two penalties from fly-half Andy White gave Hawks their early lead but Dundee were not dead, just dozing.

McKenna snapped up his interception try from 30 metres which he converted and then scrum-half Andy Dymock scrambled over from short range. Hawks stretched their one point, half-time lead shortly after the break when centre Dean Kelbrick found acres of space to dive over.At the opposite end winger Matt Smith did exactly the same after the Dundee forwards carved out some space for him on the right flank. Fleming kicked the best kick of the day from the touchline but it was Dundee were left to rue those earlier lost points.

Scorers: Hawks: Tries: Hair, Kelbrick, Miller Conv:White, Melbrick Pen: White (2) Dundee: Try: McKenna, A Dymock, Smith, Fleming Conv: McKenna, Fleming.

Glasgow Hawks: Hair, White, Kelbrick, Preece, Steven; White, K Hamilton, Tkachuk, Milligan, Smith, R Hamilton, A Kirkland, McKay (Capt), Hill, Miller. Subs used: Strain, Hunter, Strang, Milne, Boyer.

Dundee HSFP: O'Connor, Smith, Duthie, Wade, Fleming; McKenna, A Dymock; N Dymock, Forrest, Brown, Linton, Hawkins (Capt), Cumming, Gray, Milne. Subs used: Kerr, Russell, Levinson, Cessford, Strachan.

Referee: R McHenry.