ANOTHER MATT FINISH
Glasgow Tigers 20 Napier Mavericks 14 (OT).

One thing about the Glasgow Tigers this season, they don't like to do things the easy way.

But what ever they are doing is so far working - as they have still to drop a game during this current campaign.

Despite a week off the reigning Scottish Conference champions came through their second successive match, being taken to the wire right down to another dramatic overtime battle.

And once again, it was another "Matt Finish" from rusher, Matt Burke, clinched a hard fought victory for the home side over the Napier Mavericks, maintaining their 100% record for this season.

Even though they went into the break on the back of a win, it was anything like a comfortable win for the Tigers two weeks ago against Paisley .

And they needed to step up their game if they were to have a chance of retaining a Scottish Conference title, especially with the Stirling Clansmen get their season off to an emphatic start, this season, having clocked up 90 points without reply in their first two fixtures.

The Tigers preparations for their return to action at the weekend were decimated without the services of Ronnie "Pebbles" Gaffin, who is expected to be out of action till January, following an injury picked up against Paisley a fortnight ago.

And with the Mavericks looking to bounce back from their hammering by the Clansmen two weeks ago, this was a game that appeared to be too close to call.

The Tigers got to grips with the game first on their second drive when Burke powered through the middle for a 36 yard gain, falling just short of the goal line.

Then on the next play the Burke bounced off two challenges for the opening touchdown.

Despite the early score, this was not going to be a repeat of Napier's contest against the Clansmen two weeks ago and soon had the Tigers on the ropes on their next drive when Jason Langston ate up some big yardage to the Glasgow 9 yard line.

Minutes later, Phil Najemi, burst through for the tying score, which was followed by Rob Brownling doing well to catch an awkward pass from Ben Edelshan, to put the visitors two points in front.

Napier started to exposed some frailties in the when 17 (name to be confirmed) caught a long pass from Edelshan giving the Edinburgh side excellent field position.

Minutes later, Napier were just short of the goaline and despite a tough stand off from the home defence, the visitors went for it and appeared to do enough for a new set of downs but appeared to lose possession, but managed to recover the possession for a first down with two yards to go.

Then minutes later, Jamie Langston finished the move off, bursting through the defensive wall for welcome six points increasing their lead.

The Tigers showed more determination at the start of the third quarter when Edelshan was picked off by Grant McAuslan but the drive stalled and were forced to turn over possession.

On the next Tigers series, they stepped it up on offense when quarterback Grayson Lee hooked up with McAuslan who cut across at speed, tearing down the far side for a big gain to the 38 yard line.

But Napier stepped up the pressure on Glasgow and the drive stalled once again.

Going into the final quarter, the defensive trade off continued with the Edinburgh outfit looking as if they might have done enough to hold on to their slim lead.

However during any matches covered throughout Hot Iron's ten years, the Tigers have shown on several occasions that they like to leave thing to the last minute.

And this day was not exception!

And with two minutes of the game remaining, the Napier defense went to sleep as McAuslan ran almost half the length of the field for a touchdown and now needed to nail the two point conversion to tie the scoring.

If they were not successful then it would have been difficult to pick themselves up. But Lee delivered a text book keeper move, diving over for the tying score.

OVER TIME BECKONED ONCE AGAIN.

"Hold them and we have got this!" were the noises coming from the Glasgow sideline.

And they defended the first drive in overtime as if their lives depended on it on the first drive of sudden death over time, shutting down the Napier attack.

Then it was time for another "Matt Finish" when Burke exploded down the far side for a dramatic winning score.

This was another tough victory for the Tigers who are now set for an even tougher challenge on their next encounter, when they take on the Stirling Clansmen, who romped home to another emphatic 58-6 victory over the Caledonian Roughriders.

PICS Frank McGoarty