 The game lasts 80
minutes. Deep into that '80th' minute of Saturday's top of the
table clash, Broughton, leading 13-14 after clawing back a 10-0
half-time deficit, secured ball in their 22 after taking the mark from a
high kick from the home side. The match official, when asked how
long to go quipped 'just get on with it' and the ball was kicked into
touch in what looked like the final play of the game.Not so! From
the resultant line-out, the home side won their own throw and popped the
ball infield for the run at the visitors line. The Penicuik
player, whilst slipping towards the muddy soil was tackled, however the
match official deemed it to have been a 'high tackle' and Penicuik
pointed to the posts to attempt to regain the lead.
The Broughton
players were deflated by such a strange call and that their efforts
would seem to earn just a single loss bonus other than a 4 pointer.
The Penicuik sideline were holding their breath as the kicker lined-up
the ball. As it flew off the tee, the ball swayed to the right.
Did it finally fly between the sticks? Well, without the
intervention of Sky Sports and the Big Screen we will never know. The
visiting flag bearer kept his arm down but the home official hoisted his
and the referee gave his final adjudication as a successful conversion
and blew for the end of a hard fought contest.
The Broughton
players naturally felt aggrieved however, earlier incidents throughout
the match had perhaps went their way.
The visitor's start
to the match was tempered by an early hamstring injury to centre Paul
Hamer and his Australian contemporary Kerry Sargeant also had to leave
the field after receiving a head-knock midway through the first half.
The home side
capitalised on some slack 'wet weather' handling and it appeared as if
the home kicker had left his boots in the Clubhouse early on as his
first two penalty attempts went wide of the sticks. He wasn't to
be denied the third time as the match official penalised Broughton for
holding on at the tackle. The home side added to their
arithmetical advantage by scoring a well worked try which was converted
to give the Penicuik side a 10-0 half-time lead.
Broughton came out
for the second half realising that the match was very much still theirs
to win and were rewarded by a penalty try award by the match official,
who was being assessed on the sidelines. Dan Arrandale put through
a delightful kick through and chased his own hard work and was adjudged
to have been unfairly obstructed in his attempt to score. Captain
Melvin Hart slotted the kick from under the posts but he turned sinner
shortly after, as a fracas off the ball ended in Hart and a home player
taking a 'breather' for 10 minutes.
Hart made amends
minutes after re-entering the field by scoring a try which had the home
faithful looking for the refs head on a platter! A bursting run by
the Broughton centre put him within striking distance of the line and he
pushed the ball through with his foot and managed to beat the last line
of the Penicuik defence to get downward pressure on the ball.
Dan Arrandale
stepped up to take the kick to put the league leaders in front and with
3 minutes to go, it looked like the comeback was complete. The
rest, as they say, is history......
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