The GUHRS report that the event was a great success, with a wide mixture of students attending, many of whom had never been racing before.

GUHRS President, Joe Mclean, stated “We had a fantastic day out, we are so grateful to Ayr Racecourse for their generosity, the club stand tickets we had are the best seats in the house and it was very kind of them to give our members free entry. Everyone enjoyed their day out and we even managed to back some winners which is always a bonus”.

The GUHRS liaised with the racecourse to organise free entry for  Glasgow students, saving them £21 at the gate. The racecourse also supplied handy betting guides and vouchers for students, to help them make the most of their day out at Ayr’s first Saturday meeting of the year.

The day out at Ayr Racecourse was the first of many in 2011 for the society, with the President explaining that: “We are hoping to make racing as accessible as possible for students at Glasgow and we are hoping to build up long lasting relationships with all of the Scottish racecourses in order to make it affordable for students”.

He continued “We are lucky in Scotland to have five racecourses and all very accessible from Glasgow. We hope to visit all of them over the course of the year to give our members a chance to experience the full range on offer, including flat and jump racing”.

The society was formed in 2010 with an aim to introduce students to the world of racing. They want to give students the chance to experience horse racing in all its forms, the activities surrounding and to build up new fans of the sport.

Outwith trips to the races, the society also organise numerous  events throughout the year including;tours of racing stables, social events, and host talks from Scottish jockeys and trainers, with the aim to enhance members knowledge of the sport.

Joe Mclean went on to explain that “we are hoping to build up our membership at Glasgow and if anyone is interested in joining us they should email or sign up to our facebok page”.

The next event organised for members of the society, who can join GUHRS free of charge, is planned to be a trip to a local Point to Point race meeting in Lanark on Saturday the 26th March.

For more GUHRS info, email: guhrs@hotmail.co.uk

        ‘Glasgow University Horseracing Society’

The event was held in the Glasgow University Union’s Debating Chamber in aid of their chosen charity ‘Right to Play’.

The weeks of hard work and preparation by GUSA leading up to the show all paid off with the event described by a spokesperson as a “resounding success, not to mention an entertaining and fun filled night”.

The event saw 25 of Glasgow’s sports men and women modeling clothes from companies such as ‘Fat Face’, ‘Dunnes Stores’ and ‘Just For You’ along with a range from Glasgow University Sport and Recreation Clothing.

The models really got into the spirit of things as they strutted their stuff and with their enthusiasm they would not have looked out of place on the catwalks of Milan or Paris.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Glasgow University Cheerleading Squad and Pole Dancing Society caused temperatures to soar as they performed two fantastic routines that had the audience raising the roof.

Elsewhere on the night Bacardi’s mixologist Andy showed us his moves, bar flaring and pulling off some impossible looking tricks, meanwhile the rest of the Bacardi team kept the drinks flowing with some delicious cocktails.

As the drinks flowed, DJ Blair Stuart was on hand at the decks to provide some rousing music for the event and the whole thing was compared by a rather familiar GUSA comedy-duo.

The whole evening was captured for posterity by Glasgow University Student Television, while two photographers were on hand to capture some memorable images.

Many of the local businesses donated extremely generous raffle prizes for the night including items from Baguette express, Grosvenor Café and Glasgow University Sport and Recreation.

Overall the event was a great success, with the Union filled near to capacity with charitable revelers, helping to raise an incredible £1,000 for ‘Right to Play’. On this basis we wonder what the GUSA Charities and Fundraising team will have in store for us after the New Year.

If you’d like more information, or would like to help support the charity visit www.righttoplay.com

Bex Hewitt

Glasgow 7-2 Abertay

Markus Morrison

A sun-drenched Garscube saw the Glasgow University Hockey Club (GUHC) win against the University of Abertay to secure their place in the final of the men’s Scottish Conference Cup.

Strong recent showings and the lower league opposing side made Glasgow heavy favourites for the game but, as the old football adage goes, anything can happen in a cup game.

Abertay seized the early initiative and found themselves camped out in the GUHC half, maintaining strong possession but never really capitalising on the home team’s slow start. The Glasgow defence looked resolute and stifled any real attacking attempts made by the Dundonian squad.

Slowly the Glasgow midfield engine rumbled into life and incisive play from the defence was matched by runners piercing and
besieging the Abertay defence, critically fracturing the fragile northern side’s early attacking confidence.

One such attack resulted in Ryan Bell darting in from left wing and breaking the deadlock with a smash from the edge of the area, swiftly followed by another close-range finish from Bell pouncing through the disorientated Abertay back four and squeezing the ball through the confusion and past the helpless goalkeeper.

Abertay were over a barrel as Glasgow finally asserted some superiority. The wingers began to stretch their legs as the holding men worked the ball deep in the midfield just out of stick’s reach of the northeners, then suddenly sparked into life with pinpoint passes and driving runs into dangerous areas. More goals seemed inevitable — it was just a case of how many.

A lull in Glaswegian aggression marked the midpoint in the first half — a couple of missed goal opportunities at either end would fool a spectator into believing that the home side were happy to sit on their two-goal margin for the rest of the match.

Such illusions were shattered as some authoritative play by GUHC captain Finlay Horn led to a penalty corner, with the man himself scoring the goal from a simply worked play. The celebrations had barely reached the bored Glasgow keeper as another basic play baffled the desperately disorganised defence and Mark Campbell was on hand to sweep the ball home for to take Glasgow’s lead up to four.

The frustration of the losing side became apparent as a stick was thrown in anger in Abertay’s end of the field; a result of intense passion that turned rapidly to embarrassment as the Abertay player was forced to make the lonely walk past the heckling spectators to collect the offending article. His shame compounded as the next wave of attack skipped past him and Rory McCann slammed home another goal to complete the first half rout and fuel speculation that the defender really should have just left his stick where it landed.

Play slowed to a crawl as GUHC somewhat relinquished their stranglehold on the game, allowing Abertay a chance to reclaim some pride. Stealing two goals from a tiring Glasgow side went some way towards softening the blow before the halftime whistle rang out.

The second half saw a home side clearly playing with a cup final and promotion-deciding double-header on its mind, coupled with an air of confidence. Play was very much dominated by an Abertay side on the ascendency, showing some flare in attack and winning balls but ultimately failing to hit the back board, as they lacked the cutting edge of the Glasgow frontline.

Deeper into the second half and Glasgow shook off the lethargy that had cost them two goals in the first half, and in a burst of energy struck back in equal form — two quick fire goals to re-establish their five goal buffer. As Glasgow settled back, the game again became more balanced, but only to the extent that both sides recognised the game was over, with the Glasgow keeper’s goal-stopping acrobatics being the only highlight as the match drifted to a close — perhaps a message to others competing for the position that he will definitely be the first name on the team sheet for the duration.

As the Glasgow team celebrated their deserved victory the mood after the game was summed up by captain and goal scorer Finlay Horn: “We’ve played some great hockey leading up to this semi-final stage and we carried that on today. Who knows — maybe we should have won by even more. But I know one thing: when we play like this I wouldn’t bet against us.”

With the glint of silverware firmly in sight and confidence running high in the Glasgow camp all eyes are on the upcoming final against city rivals Glasgow Caledonian University. Horn, in a strong statement of intent from a side that can do no wrong at the moment, said: “If we play the way that I know we can, then it has to be silverware for the GUHC. It will be a massive game especially because they are such big rivals, but we want to win regardless of who we are playing.”

History shows cup finals to be treacherous things — often strong favourites are brought down by lesser opposition. Glasgow may have a better record against their upcoming opponents, but weaknesses at the opening and close of each half against Abertay must give the team something to think about before the final against Caledonian’s squad.

In order to reach the next level they need to stamp out that level of indiscipline and work on maintaining their concentration — even when games look all but over. With expectations of a closely fought match, vocal support from a good University of Glasgow turnout on the day should inspire the boys in black and gold to bring a little silver back home.

Glasgow 3-2 Cambridge

My previous impression of volleyball as a relaxed holiday sport was dissolving into thin air as I stood flinching on the sidelines during the warm-up for the quarter-final Men’s British University Volleyball Championship against Cambridge. Multiple balls were being launched, received and spectacularly slammed into every crevice of the Kelvin Hall Arena.

Both the Glasgow and Cambridge team members were taking turns to practise their jump attacks: the swift yet lethal move which involves leaping into the air and spiking the ball into the opposition’s court.

The game began with the confident Cambridge team securing the first points. Glasgow had a somewhat shaky start, with some uncertainty amongst the players. Cambridge went on to comfortably win the first set, leaving Glasgow very much searching for answers.

After encouraging words were passed on by Captain Iain Leslie during the time out, the energetic home team looked determined and rejuvenated. The attitude of the team was reflected from the outset with an impressive opening point secured by man of the match Luka Rejc, who smashed the ball into the opposition’s court after some intelligent Glasgow build up.

The defence, who were eagerly lined up at the front of the court also stepped up to the challenge, with the talismanic Jan Kapon soaring up to block some crafty shots made by the well-polished Cambridge outfit. Glasgow went on to win the second and third sets, meaning they needed to triumph in the fourth to win the game and earn a place in the semi-final.

However, Cambridge were by no means ready to accept defeat, leading to a anxiety-fuelled fourth set, with the exhausted players throwing themselves about the court.

An agonising battle ensued, with both teams alternately raking up points for their side. Luka Rejc and Martin Dvorak were key point scorers, producing some swift and powerful strikes.

The teams ended up neck and neck, with 24 points apiece, but neither managed to gain the two point advantage needed to secure the win. Cambridge eventually prevailed bringing the game to a deciding fifth set in which the first team to score fifteen points automatically claimed victory.

The ever-increasing crowd of Glasgow supporters kept the morale of the players high, shouting and cheering words of encouragement during the gripping finale. The team were focused and methodical, with a slick passing technique which usually resulted in the dynamic force Rejc receiving the ball and executing a string of spectacular winners.

The exhausted Cambridge team, who had brought no substitutes to the match, kept up their game, but Rejc gained the advantage and scored the fifteenth point for Glasgow, propelling them to victory in what was a high octane and fast-paced game.

The team were overjoyed with their well-deserved win against a very strong team. Captain Iain Leslie said: “I’m really proud of the team. We knew Cambridge would be tough competition as they are one of the top sides in the UK. However I have a lot of faith in Glasgow and knew we could deliver if we stayed focused and on top of the game.”

He also expressed his excitement for the upcoming semi-finals to be held in Sheffield. If the team can maintain this level of intensity then they can be sure that silverware beckons.

Glasgow University recently played host to the Scottish Universities Annual Canoe Polo Championship. On February 5, 25 teams from all over Scotland descended on Glasgow to compete for the coveted Open Shield and Ladies’ Cup in the only inter-university competition in the Polo calendar.

For the uninitiated, canoe polo is essentially water polo in, well, canoes, with five members on a team competing to score by throwing, dribbling or paddling the ball up the swimming pool, before thrusting it into the opponents’ goal. Perhaps surprisingly, the rules permit the pushing of players in possession of the ball into the water.

It can all get rather frantic, however, buoyancy aids are worn by all competitors and anyone contemplating a career in the sport will be pleased, or rather relieved, to note that no serious injuries occurred during this year’s event.

Glasgow University have a strong record in this competition, and this year did not disappoint. Their dominance in the sport over the last few years has been unfailing, and in a squad littered with internationalists they retained the cups that have come to be regarded as regular fixtures in the Glasgow University trophy cabinet. Their A team, made up of John MacArthur, Chris Bell, Ben Marshall, Teng Wei Keong and Paul Walker, won the Open Shield for a third year running; narrowly beating Strathclyde University for the second time in two years, by two goals to one. The team had cantered to the final, and even the most resilient of performances by Strathclyde in the highly anticipated Glasgow derby could not stop the hosts.

Glasgow Ladies also maintained their three-year-long winning streak in the Cup. Glasgow’s first team cruised through their group stages and into the finals, with such an appearance of ease that they looked destined to retain the most highly regarded trophy in the world of Scottish university canoe polo.
The team, led by Lorna Denny alongside Cath Johnstone, Ali MacLeod, Catriona Dykes, Amy Cowell, Rachel Burgess and Caity Aitken, captured the trophy when they hammered (and there really is no other word for it) Aberdeen Ladies 11-0.

The plate was contested by Glasgow University B team who narrowly missed out on a place in the final, and the chance to ensure a Glasgow whitewash, after an agonising loss to the Aberdeen B team, finally being edged out 2-1 in extra time. Aberdeen went on to win the plate, and restore some Northern pride after their humilation in the ladies, when they triumphed over Heriot-Watt.

For a club that recently had to deal with the theft of crucial equipment worth around £20,000, this competition provided light relief for members of the Glasgow University Canoe Club, who opened their doors to accommodate over 100 visiting competitors from cities all over Scotland.

The strong performances displayed by all three Glasgow University teams bode well for the upcoming British Universities Championship in May. Given their blistering form in this competition, they will certainly be one of the favourites to win the competition.

Organised by Susie Benson, Ben Marshall and Louise Cullum, this year’s event was declared an all-round success, and the club is keen to encourage others to try out the unusual sport.

As explained by Cullum, canoe polo must be seen to be truly believed. So for anyone who is interested in checking it out, and tempted to get involved, training takes place on a Thursday night from 6.30pm to 9.00pm in the Stevenson Building pool, and beginners are, of course, welcome to go along.

So then, Superbowl XLIV? Did you watch it? If so, did you know exactly what was going on, or did you just look in to see what the fuss was about? I was a mixture of both; I had a fair grasp of the rules of American Football, courtesy of owning NFL Madden 2000 on the Playstation, but my main concern was the sleepless night ahead of me.

The Superbowl is like the finale of a television show which you have never seen before. You know that it is big in the US, and that from all reports is kind of a big deal. You watch it so that you have a vague idea of what happens, thus ensuring that you aren’t floundering in ignorance in conversations with your friends the next day — in this regard it’s a bit like Glee. However, as with a TV show, it takes a while to warm to the main characters. For instance, it is hard to feel any strong emotions towards Patton Manning, until you realise he is the latest in a family famous for quarterbacks and is in search of his fourth Superbowl winner’s ring.

The Superbowl is brash, loud, super-sized and commercialised (a thirty second advert during the game is estimated to cost $2.6 million). The half-time show alone is worth staying awake for. This year, The Who played during the interval. Imagine if the Champions League final had a brief interlude with a set from The Rolling Stones? The mind wanders to the Twenty20 cup final which had a half-time show performed by the Sugababes. It was just a bit bizarre when you realise they are a mere warm-up act for the Surrey Brown Caps chasing 130 on a flat track.

To joke about the blatant advertising in the Superbowl (which is brought to you by Bridgestone, by the way) seems to be a touch hypocritical when British sports appear to be just as bad; e.g the Heineken Cup or the Coca Cola Championship. It is interesting that the kits worn by both teams and all National Football League (NFL) franchises have no sponsorships, unlike football shirts which are now effectively mobile billboards.

Of course, the sport does itself no favours having franchises as opposed to teams. Those who simply do not like NFL can criticise the fact that teams can simply uproot to different cities. Apparently, this means a franchise is devoid of history; of links to a city the way a football club has. But really, who needs history?  If the Premiership could be as flexible as the NFL it would be. The desire for a 39th round of matches abroad was inspired by the NFL’s annual international game in London, but was shot down by Fifa.

American Football, of course, is not restricted to America: as well as NFL Europe — a league which was graced by the presence of the Scottish Claymores until a few years ago — the international game at Wembley is a huge event. For the 2009 game between the Saints and the Chargers the first 45,000 tickets sold out in an amazing ninety minutes.

The game itself was actually very interesting, despite my increasing tiredness creeping in. It is a game of strategy, tactics and planning, just like football, or rugby, or cricket. I did not know the technical terms (I will probably never know what “unnecessary roughness” is) but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment.

So, at the end of a long night, it was the New Orleans Saints who triumphed, 31-17. What the night proved for me though is that this game is far more entertaining than I thought it would be. It made me wonder, should we in Britain be taking this game more seriously?

James Lush

Glasgow University Tennis Club enters 2010 with the men’s first team on the verge of a place in the BUCS Premier North division, where they will face the likes of Loughborough, Manchester and Stirling.

Following an unremarkable 08/09 season which was blighted by injuries and the decimation of the previous team following graduation, Captain Tim Campbell has used a blend of first-years and more experienced players to lead the team to a promotion play-off.

Campbell especially praised the new young stars of the team Innes McNicol and the Estonian Marcus Pops, who have played alongside William Leonhardt and the more experienced Andrew Smillie, David Birrell, Brian Wasige and Campbell himself.

After a disappointing opening day defeat to Stirling seconds at home, the team has since gone on to crush that side 8-2 on their own turf and record stunning victories of 9-1 against Aberdeen and 10-0 against St. Andrews on two occasions, as well as beating rivals Edinburgh.

The influx of talent has also allowed the second team to flourish. With four fixtures undefeated and the remaining three all at Garscube, the team look likely to consolidate their current position at the head of Division 3 and win promotion.

The next test is the visit of local rivals Strathclyde in a match Glasgow expect to win comfortably, although the fixture has the potential to throw up a shock result. As in previous seasons, the second team has provided the opportunity for inexperienced players to gain match play experience alongside seasoned campaigners and the competition for places has led to increased turnouts at training in what is a record-breaking year for the club.

GUTC has become one of the few clubs to take over 100 memberships this year and has a thriving community of racket-wielders. There are now four training sessions each week and a professional coach in the shape of third-year student David Knox.

The tennis club has continued its tradition of unearthing the finest international talent, with players from Estonia, Malaysia, Kenya and Australia turning out regularly for the side. Some have dealt with the weather better than others, as has been highlighted by performances at Garscube. There has been discussion about moving team matches to an indoor arena but no deal has been finalised yet.

With the withdrawal of main sponsors PriceWaterhouseCoopers following the financial crisis, the club has struggled to bring in money except through memberships, which have fortunately surged thanks to the strong committee elected this year; mostly inexperienced members who characterise the regeneration of the club.

The success of the club has largely been down to its accommodation of players of all abilities. With a dedicated club, teams and coaching sessions there has been on display rich picking for the teams. GUTC has become a club where players have risen in a short space of time from virtual beginners to candidates for team honours. And an honour it is to play for one of the most successful teams at the University of Glasgow.

Glasgow University Hockey Club took a giant step towards promotion after a gruelling victory against fierce rivals East Kilbride Avondale in a pulsating match at the Garscube.

Glasgow looked like they would have to settle for a draw, but Harry Tattersall Smith lashed in a late winner to snatch a crucial victory. With an earlier away fixture succumbing to bad weather, this was the first meeting between the GUHC and the team sitting directly behind them in the league.

GUHC began with confidence; pressing well in the early stages of the game until defensive sloppiness gave Avondale the opportunity to take an early lead. Michael Mchaffie was forced into a number of fine saves, before Tony McHugh found a way through giving Avondale a shock 1-0 lead. GUHC would have been forgiven for letting the heads drop but they worked  hard to regain control of the game with Cris Logan, a constant threat, acting as a tireless outlet on the wing.

Avondale were clearly at their strongest in the centre of the field so Glasgow relied on wide play to expose gaps in the Avondale defence, while Leo Howes worked hard in the circle to maintain GUHC pressure. In a frustrating twenty minute bout of play, GU dominated possession but lacked a clinical edge.

Avondale were clearly feeling the heat as GU continued to press the visitor’s defence, but the GU team failed to deliver the killer ball, despite the presence of Gokula Mohan in the heart of midfield who orchestrated proceedings.

Late into the first half, Glasgow were unlucky not to convert a penalty corner after incisive interplay between Howes and Ian Oliphant. The scrambled clearance saw Avondale break quickly earning a penalty corner. The Avondale forwards looked strong when they had possession, but this was not often. In the dying minutes of the first half, Howes made a last ditch attempt at powering through the Avondale defence. He created a chance through another penalty corner, but again the home side failed to convert.

Glasgow started the second half with renewed vigour, clearly determined to amend the score line. They piled pressure on the Avondale defence forcing a number of good saves from goalkeeper Donald McAllister.

Michael Harker provided a brief spell of relief for Avondale with a break but unsuccessful strike at the GU goal. An immediate response from GU saw Ian Oliphant find the Avondale backboard, however his goal was controversially disallowed.

Another fast break, this time by East Kilbride’s Tony McHugh, saw the pace of the game pick up as Avondale looked to kill off a resilient university side. The striker looked certain to score as the GUHC defence were caught napping but slipped in the circle.

GU’s persistence was finally rewarded with a goal from Harry Tattersall Smith, who struck clinically from the edge of the circle, after intelligent linking up with Howes on the wing. This style left inevitable gaps, allowing Avondale to fortuitously regain their lead through Ed McHugh, with an incisive counter-attack making the score 2-1. GU might have been dominating play, but Avondale were definitely making more of their chances.

Glasgow did not give up easily and a Howes break down the right of the pitch was smashed home after a smart turn by John Craig to level the score at 2-2.

As the game lulled a draw looked increasingly likely, but with ten minutes left Tattersall Smith scored to send the University team home with all three points and a deserved win.

Gav MacCowan surged through a flagging Avondale defence before threading a ball through to Craig, who squared the ball to partner Tattersall Smith, and he had the composure to tuck away his fourteenth goal of the campaign past the despairing keeper to spark raucous celebrations from the home fans.

The last ten minutes of the game were fairly even, with GU focused on maintaining their slender advantage. Tattersall Smith was unlucky not to complete his hat-trick, as an acrobatic back stick shot was smothered by the goalkeeper after fine work from Oliphant.

GUHC, under the tactical guidance of Alistair Claxton, worked their rolling subs well throughout the game, taking advantage of a strong squad. This tactic proved successful as both pace and effort were consistently high, giving the Glasgow side a crucial edge. The final result bodes well for the Glasgow University side who are currently pushing for back-to-back promotions.

After the game captain Joe Fitzgibbon said: “Today was massive when we went down, but it characterises the team spirit in the way we were able to fight back.”

The captain was confident of their promotion chances: “If we keep performing like that, we’ll definitely be in the mix come May. We have the league leaders here next week — we are unbeaten at home in two years, and when the crowd get behind us it can be a lonely seventy minutes for any opposition player!”

Glasgow 1-1 Aberdeen

Clare Toner

As Glasgow took on Aberdeen, spirits were high. Given their superior position in the league, the match should have been a straightforward win. However, throw a cup tie into the mix and anything can happen.

Glasgow started the game well, mounting an early attack against a sloppy Aberdeen defence. This culminated in Stewart Bracegirdle hitting the post with a powerful strike after a break down the left of the field. This pressure continued as Andrew Yates played an incisive ball through the centre that Ewan Thompson should have converted.

A slip from the Glasgow midfield provided Aberdeen with a chance and goalkeeper Mark Hutchenson was forced to make an excellent save. Glasgow quickly responded by pressing the Aberdeen side. Captain Rob Tyler lashed an effort wide, and his effort was quickly followed by two successive penalty corners but they just could not find the backboard. It was evident even at this early stage that Glasgow were going to have trouble breaking down a resilient Aberdeen defence.

Aberdeen continued to make the odd break during the next fifteen minutes but their midfield appeared less competent than the back four. One bout of pressure from the Aberdeen side saw Hutchenson make another impressive save and Stewart Law was on hand to scramble clear and swing momentum back in Glasgow’s favour.

After a fairly even spell of play with both teams playing defensively, Glasgow saw their chance and broke down the Aberdeen defence, winning a penalty corner. A Tyler straight strike was deflected by Thompson to give Glasgow a well-earned lead of 1-0. Moments later they were let off as a sharp Aberdeen run up the left saw Hutchenson again forced to make an acrobatic save.

Having dropped a goal behind, Aberdeen appeared to pick up the pace. The Glasgow midfield had to work hard to assist their defence as Aberdeen continued to pick up free hits and corners in the Glasgow half. Some sloppy passing and a few bad tackles from GU made Aberdeen’s job easier; and again Glasgow were forced to rely heavily on their goalkeeper at times.

After a strong start for Glasgow, the half-time whistle came as a welcome relief for the side. Re-organsiation was definitely required if they were to maintain their 1-0 lead.

Glasgow began the second half well, dictating the pace and pushing forward. Aberdeen were also buoyed, however Rod Anderson almost breached their previously strong defence with his fast pace and was unlucky not to score. Rob Tyler continued to play a central role throughout, moving the ball forward and switching the play successfully for his team.

As the ball moved from end to end, both Aberdeen and Glasgow had chances to score. Aberdeen looked, at times, unlucky to be a goal behind. However, sporadic breaks from Glasgow showed a high level of class: Tyler and Marty Jennings both should have doubled the home sides lead.

The intense pace was maintained throughout the game and a late surge from Aberdeen required three consecutive saves from Hutchenson to guard Glasgow’s narrow lead. However, as the Glasgow defence began to tire, Aberdeen pounced. A cruel late strike brought the score-line to 1-1, and Glasgow were lucky to fend off more pressure from the Aberdeen side. Having defended well throughout, Glasgow now seemed at a loss as to how to cope with a determined attack from Aberdeen. Two final minute penalty corners and another great save from the sublime Hutchenson saw Glasgow finish the second half as they had the first — relieved that the score-line was not worse.

Placed well above them in the league, Glasgow will be disappointed to have achieved only a 1-1 draw with the Aberdeen side. Given the defiance shown by Aberdeen, perhaps this match will serve as a wake up call as the team challenge for promotion.

Photo: Sarah-Ann Lee

Glasgow 4-3 Heriot Watt

Clare Toner

The pitch wasn’t looking its best after a day of heavy rain but as the 4-3 score-line suggests, conditions failed to dampen the spirits of either outfit when Glasgow University met Herriot Watt in a clash that saw the league’s top two sides come to blows.

Heriot Watt kicked off, immediately launching an early attack which was successfully scrambled away by the GU side.

After a quick Watt break and cross, which flashed across the 6-yard box, the momentum appeared to be firmly with the Edinburgh team. However, Glasgow made a quick counter and Mikey MacKay’s cross was converted by Joe Watson to give Glasgow the lead. Glasgow maintained this bout of pressure through a free kick from 20 yards out, and another MacKay cross which caused trouble for the Watt goalkeeper. Unfortunately they could not build on this and Watt gained possession. After having a penalty call ignored, Michael Henretty scored through a diving header to level the score line.

Glasgow’s attempt to slow the pace and hold possession resulted in a corner and a free kick but the Watt defence remained solid. After a period of slow play in the centre of the field, Watt took advantage of a quick free kick. This was smartly diverted into the bottom left corner by Henretty for his second goal.

With the score-line at 2-1, Glasgow changed tactics to cover a defensive weaknesses. Further attempts to hold possession were time and again intercepted. Watt continued to mount a strong attack but were continually frustrated by their inability to play the final, killer ball. When Glasgow did find their way into the Watt half, they faced a strong defence and struggled to create any clear chances. However, a second fast MacKay cross came in from the left and Watson was on hand to smartly convert. With his predatory instincts inside the box, Glasgow capitalised on a rare weakness in the Watt defence, and drew the scores level again.

Soon after, another break down the left of the field this time gave Jamie Kerr an opportunity to score, and he was unlucky to hit the post. Glasgow seemed to have taken control of the game for the first time and after initially holding the ball in defence, Calum Tevendale made an accurate, long pass through to Kerr, whose strike was pulled just wide. This momentum continued to carry Glasgow and after some impressive skill in the box from Kerr, MacKay finished well to put Glasgow into the lead.

Watt fought back hard and after a number of breaks up field, strong defending from Calum Tavendale and successive saves from goalkeeper Andrew Livingston maintained
Glasgow’s lead. Watt continued to apply pressure until the end of the first half, finishing with a corner, defended frantically by Glasgow.

Both teams began the second half with drive, and MacKay was unlucky not to score for Glasgow when his early strike hit the cross-bar. The pace was evidently quicker than in the first half, and the end-to-end play provided chances for both teams to score. Watt were first to take advantage of this with a converted corner by Andrew Forbes resulting in their third goal easily taken as Glasgow uncharacteristically switched off.

With the score line level, the game hit a quiet spell which was broken by a fast Watt break, defended well with a tackle by Euan Rothnie. Watt’s defensive tactics were clear when they played nine men behind the ball in order to stifle any Glasgow attacks, as they forced the home side into speculative long-range efforts.

Possession continued to switch regularly between both teams as they struggled with the wet and muddy conditions. While the pace slowed in parts, the desperation to win was evident as both teams fought for every ball. A MacKay free kick left Kerr with the opportunity to score and he took it well.

During the last few minutes, Glasgow’s defence was put under constant pressure by Watt but despite maintaining possession and having a number of shots on target, Glasgow managed to cling to their slender 4-3 lead and claim victory over their bitter rivals.

Although the win sees Glasgow holding their second place spot in the league below Herriot Watt, they are now just one point below their rivals and are well-placed to continue to heap pressure on the league leaders. The return match promises to be one to watch out for. as these two sides look set to slog it out for promotion and league glory.