In what was the first meeting of the two sides since the
Rams brought down the Hawks to reach their first final, this was expected
to be another hotly contested encounter.
Unfortunately with many players on both sides stepping
up from the junior leagues, with some of them pulling on pads for the
first time, this game turned out to be anything like a classic but lived
up to the intensity of previous Lanarkshire Derbies.
Clyde Valley got off to the best possible start in the
first quarter courtesy of a touchdown from Darren Murray, with Robbie
Porter running in the two point conversion.
The Rams hit back in the latter stages of the second quarter
when Alan Martin nipped in for six points but failed to tie the scoring
with a botched conversion attempt.
But the inexperience in both sides, meant that there was
no further changes to the score line and both Head Coaches know that they
have still a long way from becoming the finished article
Said Rams Head Coach, Darryn Trainor: “It was the
first game of the season and that maybe showed.”
“We have got a lot of guys that have never played
before and it is a big step up, especially against the Hawks, who are
a big physical team.”
“The guys are not used to it, so we have just got
to get better.”
Said Hawks Head Coach, Steve Collins: “The Rams
had their chances - but it was just one of these things. You have got
to take what you get in the game and you have to take care of it.”
“The thing is did anybody see how small our quarterback
is. He was playing junior football three weeks ago and because we had
a problem with the quarterback that we drafted in, then we had to go with
him.
