After fifteen years Stewartry have broken the Annan hoodoo of Violetbank when they won 19-11 in a hard fought local derby in the preliminary round of the West Region Shield On Saturday the 7th of September. A first win since 2004 when Captain Donald Dunlop led the Blacks to a 36-5.
ANNAN RFC 11pts STEWARTY RFC 19pts.
This was a hard fought game with a number of players suffering injuries as the local rivalry kicked in but played in a fair and sporting manner.
Stewartry won a penalty in only three minutes quickly followed with a scrum award in the Annan 22 where David Kerr was in between the posts for the opening try. Surprisingly Mosey missed the conversion.
After a raft of penalty awards to both teams Muir jinked his way forty metres through the Annan defence.
Twenty minutes and Annan were on the score board from a penalty award in the Stewartry 22.
5-3 Stewartry.
Annan had their best spell of the game and Stewartry did well to defend their try line with Taylor and Maxwell to the fore. Stewartry missed a penalty kick before Ben Johnstone drove deep into the Annan 22 after Taylor had won good lineout ball Johnstone crashing over for a second try.
Mosey found his kicking boots and added the conversion. 12-3 Stewartry.
Johnstone made progress from the number eight position at a couple of scrums backed up by Brolls, McCarney Porteous and finally Dawson putting Matthew Taylor in for the third try. Mosey was on song with the conversion. 19-3.
Annan were soon back in the Stewartry 22 and were gifted a lineout take which resulted in a penalty kick in front of the posts. The kick was good 19-6 Half Time.
Stewartry led the way at the beginning of the second half Brolls ,Johnstone and Taylor taking play deep into the Annan half. The game was stopped ten minutes into the half when Stewartry player Andrew Kerr suffered a serious knee injury and was stretchered off.
A clash of heads when Stewartry players Picken and Muir ran into each other trying to field a high ball saw Annan take advantage of the lineout scoring in the corner. The conversion missed.
Both teams defended their lines with the game ending in the Stewarty 22 the delighted to put the ball into touch. Full time 19-11.
Stewartry will be back at Violetbank on Tennents National League One business on Saturday September 21st kickoff 3.00pm.
This week Stewartry are at home to Strathendrick with a 3.00pm kick off.
Stewartry Sirens made the 460 mile round trip to Inverurie losing to Garioch Women 31-17 for Garioch to go top 19pts with Sirens dropping to second 15pts after four games.
