Stewartry RFC fell to an agonising 1-point loss at home to Linlithgow over the weekend in
Scottish National 4.
An away side penalty after the clock had gone red gave Linlithogow the 30-29 win at Greenlaw. The opening 10 minutes of the game saw the ball spend a lot of time in the middle of the park, with the two sides battling for possession through strong carries and solid defensive systems. Finlay Smith got the first try of the day for the home side after he picked up a loose pass on the halfway line and rounded the defence on the outside to score his first of the season.
It did not take long for Stewartry to grab another, with the forwards putting the pressure on Linlithogw in their 22 before a long ball out the back found Smith to dot down again and give the Blacks a 10-0 lead.
Unfortunately for Stewartry, however, concentration seemed to dip and a series of soft penalties saw Linlithgow progress up the pitch for a couple of scores and take the lead going into the halftime break.
Some stern words from head coach David Thomson seemed to do the trick for Stewartry though and they came out firing in the second half.
Two tries from player-coach Iain McMorran and a solo breakaway try from centre Sam Tait saw Stewartry regain the lead and claim their first try-scoring bonus point of the campaign.
Despite some brilliant try-line defence from the Castle Douglas outfit, Linlithgow managed to keep their noses in the game with the kicking tee and won a penalty in front of the sticks with just seconds to go.
With the score at 29-27, the Reds’ kicker took his time and slotted the penalty to steal a win for the travelling team and leave Greenlaw with all five points.
Heartbreak for Stewartry but they put another two points on the league table and can come away proud of the performance.
Things are starting to click for the Blacks as they turn their attention to an away match against struggling North Berwick this weekend.
One partner. No competitors. Visible across local sport.
