Danny Kroll heroics help Hong Kong Scottish stun leaders Valley

Oh, Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes were calling at Happy Valley on Saturday night. And Danny Kroll answered them in fine fashion right at the death, engineering the match-winning try that propelled Hong Kong Scottish to a remarkable 16-9 victory over WhichWay Valley and reopened the race for the Paul Y Premiership league title.

With three penalties apiece and the scores tied at 9-9, the clock was running out and the unyielding Hong Kong Scottish forwards forced play back inside the Valley 22, brilliantly keeping a multi-phase move alive as they tried to create space and time for a last-gasp drop-goal from their sure-footed fly-half Kroll.

"I got the pass but it was a bad one as it came on my wrong side, my left side," explained the right-footed Kroll. "I had no option but to run with it. Luckily for me a hole opened up and I went for it and support was waiting for me."

Kroll was standing just inside the 10-metre line when he received that pass and his instincts took over. His angular run cut through a grasping defence before he sighted the welcome figure of hard-working captain and No 8 Adrian Griffiths who was on hand to deliver the killer blow, touching down by the left corner flag.

Referee Toby Lothian consulted the touch judge before he awarded the try, sparking mayhem among the Scottish supporters.

But Kroll wasn't finished. He knocked over the touchline conversion, which added to his three earlier penalties to give his side a well-deserved victory and, perhaps, prompt them to pen some new lyrics for that famous Irish ballad – something along the lines of: "Oh, Danny Boy, how I love you so ... for breaking Valley hearts".

Crestfallen loose forward Nick Hewson summed up the mood in the Valley camp, saying: "We have no excuses. They were better than us, hungrier than us. They out-enthused us."