Aberdeen Grammar’s prospects of avoiding relegation hang by a thread after the Rubislaw side lost their 10th consecutive game in the Premiership, leaving them 10 points adrift of second bottom side Jed-Forest.
The only consolation for Ali O’Connor’s side came in them gaining a solitary losing bonus point gained after the 21-14 defeat by GHA at Rubislaw.
Despite yet another reverse there was much to admire in the performance of a Grammar side who once they had recovered from going 21-0 down after only half an hour.
The home side battled back to give themselves a chance of winning their first game of the season, only to fail to take the opportunities which fell their way in a wind assisted second half.
Head coach O’Connor was dismayed at the outcome but said: “At this level the margins are small. We probably did enough to win the game but failed to take our chances.
“We also were bedevilled by our ongoing injury problems . Today we had two players who had to come off with concussion. It’s not been a good season but we’re not down yet.”
Not for the first time this season, Grammar surrendered control of the game in the first half hour, conceding three tries to a sharp, incisive Glasgow team whose back division were full of invention.
Tries in seven, 23 and 30 minutes, all converted by scrum half George Baird, gave the Rubislaw side a mountain to climb.
Yet by half time the home side were back in the game after a spell of sustained pressure resulted in a score under the posts when lock Nat Coe plunged over for a try, converted by his co-captain Tom Aplin.
In the second half the wind strengthened, giving the home side an extra ally, but yielding only one solitary touchdown; this despite numerous scoring opportunities.
The lone try was attributed to hooker Matthias Schosser who got on the end of move started by stand off Sam Knudson, superbly converted out wide by Aplin.
This ended the scoring and despite keeping GHA on the back foot, the home side always looked vulnerable to the occasional break out from the more fluent visitors.
Grammar were best served by Ben Inglis and Greig Ryan, until they both had to leave the field of play injured, Knudson and No 8 Corey Buchan, who since his move from Gordonians has been a revelation.
Grammar’s best hope of avoiding the one relegation spot on offer, lies in Jed-Forest continuing to lose, including their vital game with the Aberdeen side on December 11 in the Borders.
In the meantime Grammar have the small matter of home games against to Glasgow Hawks and Marr in the next two Saturdays.
