TIGERS TRIUMPH
IN GRIDIRON CATFIGHT !!!!!!!

Glasgow Tigers 47               Highland Wildcats 15

When you compete in any kind of sport, preparation is always the key to success.   And Glasgow Tigers showed that they certainly did their homework following a convincing victory over the Highland Wildcats.

Last week the Inverness based side, showed significant improvement in their second competitive season with an impressive win over the West Coast Trojans, and with members of the Tigers organisation interested viewers on the side lines.

And whatever they learned on that day appeared to work as a stand out performance from the home defense saw the Tigers limit the impact of the Wildcats star rusher, Anthony Levy and conceding two scores on the day.

However the main talking point of the game was the performance of the Tigers offensive unit, led on the field by Tigers University Quarterback, Gregor Beattie and the four touchdowns from Scott Watson, which played a major part in what was a well-deserved victory.

After last week, the signs were there that this was going to be a hotly contested encounter, and with both defenses not prepared to give any ground – not much for the neutrals to look at – but in the end results mean everything and no one was prepared to be the first to surrender the opening points and hand the opposition some momentum.

Then comes the start of the second quarter and suddenly from a spectator’s point of view, things started to pick up with the Tigers within reach of the Wildcats endzone.

Minutes later the breakthrough finally came when Scott Watson, powered through from a few yards for the opening six points.

However the Tigers soon got a wakeup call that there was still a lot of football to be played at the kick off, when James Hudson return the ball the full length of the field for the tying score, with Martin Devlin splitting the uprights for the extra point and a narrow Wildcats lead.

The Tigers quickly hit back with a repeat of the opening score, with Watson powered through a defensive brick wall in a repeat of his opening touchdown, crossing the goal line to put the home side back in front.

The Wildcats were soon making progress back up field and turned to their star rusher, Anthony Levy, who showed what has become a trademark run, evading a number of tackles with ease, sprinting into the far corner of the endzone to restore the visitor’s one point lead.

The Tigers stepped up a gear and hit the Wildcats hard with a big kick-off return from Ruaraidh MacDonald, taking the ball to the Highlanders 30 yard line.

Quarterback Beattie sent a long diagonal ball to MacDonald which was downed a foot short of the goal line.

And with the form that the Tigers powerhouse was showing, it came as no surprise to see him finish the drive off,  shrugging off two challenges for his touchdown hat trick and then a 2 point conversion, handing the Tigers a seven point half time lead.

The Tigers defense where certainly fired up during the early stages of the third period, forcing a turnover, which they recovered.

Minutes later, Kieran Phillips made some big yardage for the Tigers, taking the ball to the Wildcats 27 yard line.

The drive continued with Craig Waddell moving the home side to the one yard line.   It therefore did not come as any surprise to see what came next, with Watson too hot to handle once again, barrelling through for his fourth touchdown, with William Mclauchlan splitting the uprights for the extra point kick.

Going into the final quarter and 27-13 up, confidence was high within the Tigers ranks. 

And this was evident when Beattie fired another long precision ball to MacDonald who pulled off an excellent catch, diving into the endzone.

But the home side took their eye of the ball with the conversion kick, which was blocked and was returned to the other end of the field by Euan Rennie for a welcome two points for the visitors.

However the final word, went to the Tigers during the final minutes with an interception return by Jamie McCansh put the home side in excellent field position.

Then Beattie inflicted more misery when he fired a text book pass to an open Ryan McCluskey for a final six points with Mclauchlan, once again nailing the conversion kick for the 47-15 final score