Stewartry Rugby Club broke their duck at Belsland Kilmarnock with a first ever win in eleven visits since 1992 on Saturday February the 1st 2020.
Kilmarnock 7pts Stewartry 19pts.
A top of the table battle as the winner on the day would be the Tennent’s West One league leaders until the league restarts on 15th February.
Kilmarnock kicked off long with the sun and wind behind them but Stevie McCulloch showed the Blacks determination to take the game by the scruff of the neck winning the first lineout a quickly followed by the first scrum with Doug Boyd breaking clear.
A penalty to the Blacks took play up to the Killie half and Danny Boyd chipped ahead only to see the Killie full back clear his lines.
One minute later the ploy worked another Boyd chip ahead saw fullback Lochy Spence speed through to go over for the opening try.
Captain John Picken converted and Stewartry were 7-0 ahead in only five minutes. Stewartry had started strongly as they went for the victory they felt their performance at Greenlaw merited before Kilmarnock had scored in the last minute for the win. Austin and Boyd won the restart and with TJ McCarney made in roads to the Killie half. Killie continued to be penalised for offside and high tackles with props McMorran and McCulloch driving to the try line where Boyd set Robert Austin in for a second try in only sixteen minutes. John Picken again added the points. 14-0 blacks led.
Fraser Forsyth jinked his way into the Killie half with Root and Boyd on his shoulder before Stewartry’s David Maxwell was yellow carded for dangerous play. Stewartry made some changes to cover for Maxwell with Milligan off and Hogg on. Killie took advantage of the extra man scoring a try out on the wing which was converted. Before halftime Stewartry lost both Forsyth and T J to injuries with McLean and Picken replacing them. Half time 14-7 to Stewartry.
Stewartry continued to dictate the play in the second half Root and Milligan continuing to make good ground up the wings and the McCulloch brothers doing likewise to the Killie try line. Some stout Kilmarnock defence kept the Blacks out. The Killie hooker was next to suffer the wrath of the referee for a yellow card for dangerous play.
A Stewartry scrum 15 metres out from the line was won Picken setting Hogg, the Boyd boys and Austin off out wide for Forsyth to give Scott Milligan an easy run in for the third try. The conversion was missed but the game was won 19-7 as the Blacks continued to keep play in the Kilmarnock 22 for the last ten minutes. Man of the match Robert Austin. Another target reached in the Stewartry’s fiftieth season a twenty eight year wait for victory at Kilmarnock and new league leaders for the first time this season.
Stewartry Sirens also enjoyed their first win in the Sarah Beaney Cup round two over Heriots Blues this season winning 8-3 in Edinburgh after a defeat and a draw in the league. Scorers were Ally Henderson a try and Lisa Ritchie a penalty.
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