Dalkeith’s fourth league match of the year was their first home fixture of the season playing host to Gala YM at the Kings Park. Dalkeith fans were out in force but with Gala sitting mid-table alongside Lismore and Medics, the home side were expecting a stiffer test than the previous week’s match at Liberton. The day was overcast with little wind and a threat of rain that never quite materialised.

Gala won the toss and elected to kick off. From the start both sides appeared up for the game and neither was willing to give ground. The packs appeared fairly evenly matched in the early stages and the match swung back and forth as both teams sought the upper hand. Seven minutes from the start home winger, Robbie Lockhart, was adjudged guilty of a high challenge and shown the yellow card. Advantage to Gala, and Dalkeith fans looked forward to a nervous ten minutes. Strangely though, it was Gala who slipped up.

Ten minutes gone, a home scrum on the halfway, Dalkeith released the ball and sent a long kick to the corner where the Gala defender fumbled it into touch on his own 5m line. From the resulting line-out Dalkeith took clean ball, set the maul, and drove over for Gav Davidson, to score the first try of the match. Fly-half, Mike Wilson added the conversion to put the home side 7-0 in front. Gala were stunned. However, they came back hard in an attempt to get some points on the board while they had the numerical advantage. Dalkeith said, no! Not today!

The defensive tackles went in and Gala’s efforts came to nought. By this point the Dalkeith pack were beginning to dominate and were visibly superior at the set pieces, especially the scrum. With the first quarter almost gone and Dalkeith restored to full complement Dalkeith were awarded a scrum on the Gala 10m line. Scrum-half Piotr Tokarski elected to go down the blind side, he drew the defenders before releasing winger Matt Henderson, who rounded the full-back on the outside and cantered in for try number two. Mike Wilson converted to make it 14-0. Almost from the kick-off Dalkeith came again, the forwards setting up good ball for Tokarski to break up the middle and send the ball along the back line. Some desperate Gala defence halted the home side just short of the line but the ball was released quickly, from the ruck, to fly-half Mike Wilson who ran in at the corner. This one went unconverted but Dalkeith were 19-0 ahead and starting to motor. The Bonus point came in the 26th minute. Again, it was the domination of the forwards that allowed the backs room to break from deep. Inside Centre, Andy Hamilton broke the line, running into space, Full back, Steve Paton, came up in support on the outside to take it on before passing back inside to centre, Darren McMillan, who crossed for the score.
Mike Wilson converted for 26-0.

Dalkeith were now firmly in control while the visitors were clearly frustrated and arguing among themselves. From the restart the home side fielded the ball and took it straight back up the middle of the park from Forwards to backs and Andy Hamilton again made the break, running clear before passing outside to Mike Wilson who outpaced the chasing defenders to score in the corner.

Sadly, the last defender chose to follow through with a late hit on the scorer, tempers flared and there was some angry pushing and shoving before order was restored. The recovered Wilson kicked the conversion. 33-0 with half an hour gone. Up to this point the game had been reasonably fairly contested a penalty count of 4 to 3 in favour of the visitors. However, the remains of the first half was marred by a succession of infringements from the Gala side as their frustration boiled over and the match became bogged down in the middle of the field. Half time arrived with no further scores.

Dalkeith kicked off the second half having replaced Matt Henderson with Paul Clugston at the break. He was involved from the start. A Dalkeith throw in on the Gala 10m line was taken down and driven forward by the Dalkeith pack, No 8, Kieran Cooney fed Clugston as he came in at pace who then passed it to scrum-half, Piotr Tokarski, running in support and he found his way through to score. Wilson added the extras for a 40-0 lead. Five minutes in, Second Row, Scott Graham, left the field with a leg injury, replaced by Mike Banks.

Tempers flared again when Gala infringed at a ruck, Dalkeith took the penalty and kicked to the corner. From their own throw on the gala 5m line, the home side caught and drove over for Hooker, Greg Jackson to claim the score. Yet again Wilson slotted the conversion to make it 47-0 after 49 mins. Piotr Tokarski was replaced by Ali Baines. At this point, the visitors were clearly frustrated and became increasingly reckless with some of their challenges. The next 15 minutes degenerated into a series of penalties, breakdowns and flare ups in the forwards. Scrums went uncontested when a Gala Prop left the field even though several ‘Front Row’ replacements were listed. Darren McMillan took a head knock and was replaced by Alan Nethery while Paul Mackay came on for Gav Davidson.

Finally, with 65 mins gone, from a scrum on the halfway Dalkeith No8, Kieran Cooney picked up and shipped the ball on the run, the backs quickly passed it through the hands to winger Robbie Lockhart who ran in unopposed for his first of the day. Wilson promptly kicked his 7th conversion making the score 54-0.

Almost immediately after the restart, indiscipline erupted again and after the dust had settled, the referee red carded home Hooker, Greg Jackson. A bitter pill to swallow as, given the number of players involved, it was hard to see why he was the man to be singled out. Dalkeith then, were down to fourteen men for the last 10 minutes. Amazinly, Gala quickly threw away this advantage when one of their own was yellow carded for repeated offending following a deliberate knock-on. The penalty was kicked to the corner and, once again, Dalkeith’s forwards took the throw-in and drove over for Kieran Cooney to score. Wilson’s boot was still on song, 61-0. Three minutes later and Dalkeith pounced on a Gala mistake to steal possession and fire the ball across the park for Robbie Lockhart to run in his second try. Again the conversion came from Wilson’s boot and the score was now 68-0. It was left to Wilson to have the final flourish. With the match in injury time Gala were penalised once again. Scrum-half Baines took the quick tap and go, the tired defence was slow to react and Baines released Wilson who romped in under the posts for Dalkeith’s eleventh try and his own tenth conversion. Final Score Dalkeith 75 v 0 Gala.

A fourth victory from four league outings, all bonus point wins. Dalkeith Coach, Neil Wood expressed his satisfaction at the result. Not just in the work rate and execution that produced eleven tries but also in the defence that kept a clean sheet.

Dalkeith Man of the Match was awarded to Prop, Clay Corcoran who scored one try and put in a tireless performance in the set pieces and around the breakdowns.

Next up Lismore away. The Green Machine rolls on.