Strong last quarter from CQP secures bonus try victory

With CQP sitting in bottom spot and Hamilton one place above them this was an obvious Must Win for both teams. Hamilton arrived having beaten Berwick at home the previous Saturday. The CQP team had Turkey back at number 10 and Geebs back at 15. Callum Dickson and captain Stewart Hamilton formed the centre partnership. It took CQP only seven minutes with a try by Cameron Rennie from a forward maul to go into the lead.Hamilton hit back three minutes later with a converted try to give them a 7-5 lead. This lead was overturned just three more minutes later when Wayne Burrows struck a successful penalty. A good run down the left wing by Tony Lopez saw him bundled into touch just a few yards short of the Hamilton line. CQP managed to steal the line out throw in and the ball was moved along the CQP backline with Matthew Brown scoring in the right hand corner. The difficult conversion was successfully taken by Wayne Burrows to put CQP into a 15-7 lead. Just before halftime Hamilton converted a try successfully. to leave the score 15-14 in CQP’s favour. A feature of the first half had been good CQP defence with Hamilton’s attempts to break through successfully resisted. It was noticeable that on the CQP line outs there was a tendency to knock the ball back one handed. Dante Alexandri and Wayne Burrows were combining well behind the set piece.

HT CQP 15 Hamilton 14.

Ten minutes after the restart Hamilton grabbed the lead back with a successful penalty. With just under a quarter of the game left CQP got the lead back when Wayne Burrows danced through the Hamilton defence for CQP’s third try which the same player converted to move the score to 22-17. With time running out CQP were awarded a penalty. The decision was taken to go for the conversion and Wayne duly popped the ball over the bar to give CQP an eight point lead. With regulation time nearly up and CQP in Hamilton’s twenty two Tony Lopez suddenly burst straight through the Hamilton defence to score behind the posts giving Wayne an easy conversion. After a few further minutes of play the whistle was blown for no side leaving CQP to savour their first victory of this campaign with a score of 32-17.

This result moves CQP off bottom spot.

Next up Boroughmuir at home when hopefully CQP can build on today’s well earned victory.

The coaches awarded back row forward Cameron McKenzie man of the match.