In a quite amazing game Cartha Queens Park showed some real character and determination.

Initially Dalzeil had blasted out of the traps with total domination in all aspects of play. The Cartha Scrum was going backwards the centre pair of Dalzeil, Czarnocki and Harris were making holes in the Cartha Defence into which the back row were running some great lines. In the first 20 minutes of the game Cartha barely had a touch of the ball. The Cartha Ship settled only in the last ten of the half at 25 -0 down and being reduced  to 14 men with Callum Dickson being yellow  carded. It seemed as if the team had reached the bottom in terms of performance and had decided they could only go up. The small band of Cartha Supporters were thinking a cricket score was on the cards at half time. Not only did they face a mountain in terms of the score but had lost both Ross Gillies and Fraser McKinnon to injury. On the bright side Robert Harvey had come on and was looking in very determined mood. Whatever coach Eugene Murnane said in the half time talk it stirred his troops into life with a positive start to the second half. Dalzeil started to look shaky even with a large lead and from good possession Andy Scott stepped past two to score. Burrows missed the conversion.

Dazeil were starting to make some poor choices , kicking the ball away  and errors were being forced. From such an error Cartha had a line out 5 out and after measured rucking playing lasting over many phases Tam Davidson was driven over the line. Burrows converted. The score was now 25-12 was the comeback of the season on?

Daziel had a small part of possession which resulted in a penalty which was converted by standoff Simpson. 28-12 Cartha still needed two converted tries to win. John Malakoty had taken the field and it was he who was throwing in at the lineout. A couple of throws went long but Robert Harvey at the back of the line was playing like a back row forward and had a couple of rampaging runs. From good possession Andy Scott made another searing break and scored the try, this was converted by Burrows score now 28-19.

The tails were certainly up at this stage and with the Dalzeil players getting frustrated at their turnaround in performance, possession was being conceded  to Cartha. From another Dalzeil mistake a fine move involving Cartha Backs and forwards was finished off by Ian Cook. The try again converted by Burrows taking the score to 28-26. The travelling support could hardly believe the turnaround and with 10 minutes to go there seemed to be only one side which could win this tie. Dalzeil were still making errors in possession and apart from the penalty had not been in the Cartha half in the second period.

From good scrumage position and another fine break from Nichol Smillie the ball was passed along to Scott McInnes who was standing  wide out at about halfway Scott evaded 3 or 4 tackles to run in a superb solo effort. The score was now 28-31 again Burrows slotted the conversion to take the score to 28-33.  

There was still 5 minutes on the clock but Cartha did not concede possession and they completed the comeback of the season.

It is difficult to single out one player amongst so many second half heroes but Nichol Smillie seemed to show the never say die attitude that resulted in the fine second half display.

Cartha Team

1 P Nicol 2 F McKinnon 3 M Barrowman 4 G Williamson 5 R Gillies 6 I Cook 7 C Dickson 8 N Smillie 9 T Davidson 10 W Burrows 11 A Noble 12 S McInnes 13 A Scott 14 C Gervaise 15 R May 16 R Harvey 17 D Tams 18 D Pender 19 J Malakoty

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