Carluke Tigers 38 - 22 Easterhouse Panthers
Saturday the 28th of June was a historic day for rugby league in Carluke and Lanarkshire. It was the final league fixture for Scotland’s newest club, Carluke Tigers, in an away fixture against established rugby league club Easterhouse Panthers. A win would secure second place in the Scottish Rugby League Conference and guarantee a play-off spot, so all was to play for.
Straight from the kick off it was apparent that this was going to be a heated contest, as this was also a huge game for the Panthers in their quest for a play-off spot. The opening minutes were a bit shaky, with both sides making a few unforced errors in the increasingly wet conditions. Scoring wise the first half was a ding dong battle, with both sides scoring three tries apiece, Carluke always scoring first but with Easterhouse almost replying instantly on each occasion, with both sides also having an equal success rate in the goal kicking stakes.
Half Time - Carluke Tigers 18 Easterhouse Panthers 18
After a bit of soul searching at half time, the Tigers came out all guns blazing, simply refusing to continually lower themselves to the standard of the opposition. Within the first fifteen minutes of the second half the Tigers ran in four scores, with a notable double effort from Craig Lewis. From there on in, with the conditions deteriorating and a number of Tigers having to retire from the field injured, the flow of the game stopped as much of the rhythm was lost. The Panthers tried their best to get back into the game, spending most of the last twenty minutes camped on the Tigers try line, but the Tigers defense was outstanding with Easterhouse only managing one consolation score. The Tigers then wrapped the game up with a further two scores to seal the victory.
Full Time - Carluke Tigers 38 Easterhouse Panthers 22
The final result secured a play-off place for the Tigers, with their seeding guaranteeing them a spot in one of the cup finals, and now a clash with current Scottish Champions Edinburgh Eagles awaits. The result also means that the Tigers will finish second in the Scottish Rugby League Conference, making them the second highest ranked side in Scotland and the highest ranked side in the West of Scotland for the 2008 season. This is an outstanding achievement in the clubs first ever season, and the whole squad are looking forward to the play-offs, where the title of Scottish Champions will be decided.
Carluke Tigers; A. Lynch, M. Hart, L. Mathesion, J. Goldie, John McAuley, L. Bryson, J. Hillis, M. Martin, C. Lewis, N. Nyemba, G. Ferguson, C. Banks, B. Karalus.
Subs (all used); R. McAuley, R. Bryan, J. Pringle, Jamie McAuley, F. McKenzie, W. Stack, A. Robinson.
Man of the match; Craig Lewis
Next up are the play-offs, but the season has already been an outstanding success and what the players and coaching staff have achieved in a debut season will rarely if ever be repeated by any sports club at national level. A big thank you goes out to everyone who has and continues to support the club, notably club volunteers and also main sponsors Jilts Lounge Bar in Hamilton and The Ranch Bar in Larkhall.
The first play-off will take place on Saturday the 12th of July, with the venue yet to be confirmed. For details email the club at thetigers@live.co.uk and keep an eye on the clubs official website, http://official.sportnetwork.net/main/s604 Anyone who may be interested in any type of sponsorship or involvement with the Carluke Tigers are also invited to make any inquiries via the above methods