STEWARTRY 14 CAMBUSLANG 15
League leaders Cambuslang were the visitors at Greenlaw for last Saturday’s BT West League Division Two fixture.
In unpleasant weather conditions Stewartry kicked off and in the second minute got a turnover. Good ball handling took the Blacks forwards right up to the visitors 5 metre line but there was a knock on. At the scrum the Stewartry pack got momentum and pushed the Cambuslang forwards back over their line for Smith to touch down for a try. Mosey added the conversion.
After the restart kick there was a lineout 15 metres out from the Stewartry line. Cambuslang took the ball and drove up the right wing to get a try. The conversion levelled the score.
When Stewartry were caught offside the Cambuslang penalty did not find touch. Dougie Boyd took the ball and got back into the visitors half where the ball was knocked on in the tackle. From the scrum the ball went to David Kerr who made further ground into the Cambuslang 22 but it went loose. Kerr kicked forward but the ball went over the dead ball line.
Cambuslang were penalised for handling in the ruck. The penalty kick took the Blacks deep into the visitors territory for a lineout 8 metres from the try line but there was a knock on. Cambuslang took the heal at the scrum allowing them to clear down field.
With 15 minutes on the clock Stewartry took the ball at a lineout on the Cambuslang 22. With some good handling and passing it went out wide along the back line. This allowed McCarney to touch down for a try which Mosey converted.
Four minutes later the Blacks got a penalty for an opposition high tackle but the kick was wide of the posts. Ian McMorran went on in place of Michael McCulloch.
Into the second quarter Stewartry took the heal against the head at a scrum on the visitors 10 metre line. David Kerr charged forward with ball in hand deep into the Cambuslang 22. The ball went loose in the tackle and Danny Boyd kicked forward. Follow up pressure on a defender caused him to slice his clearing kick giving the Blacks a lineout 8 metres from the visitors line.
The Stewartry forwards took the ball and drove over the try line but the ball was held up. At this point there were no less than 6 scrums before Stewartry took possession. The ball went from one side of the field to the other but McCarney was pushed into touch 5 metres from the Cambuslang line.The visitors took the ball at the lineout and cleared it down field.
On the half hour Cammy Fenwick and Ali McMorran replaced Stevie McCulloch and Cannon. Going up to the interval most of the play was between the 22 lines with a number of scrums to both sides. Neither side managed to break through tight defence. The score at the break saw the Blacks lead 14 – 7.
Going into the second period Cannon went back on in place of Ian McMorran. Cambuslang tried hard to put pressure on but they couldn’t break through the Stewartry defence. From a clearance kick the visitors got a lineout on the home 22. Cambuslang secured the ball and they broke away up the left wing to go in for their second try. The conversion missed.
After 10 minutes Michael McCulloch replaced Porteous who.had to leave the field with a shoulder injury.The teams exchanged penalties over the next 10 minutes but nothing came of them.
Into the last quarter Ian McMorran went back on in place of Ali and John Kerr replaced Michael McCulloch. The Blacks got deep into the visitors 22 but there was a knock on 8 metres from the try line. Stewartry took the heal but Cambuslang pushed them back to get a turnover allowing them to kick down field.
Ten minutes from time Cambuslang got into the home 22 for a lineout 5 metres from the Blacks line. Stewartry were penalised for going over the top of the ruck giving the visitors an easy kick to get a 1 point advantage.
Andrew Kerr replaced Fingland with 5 minutes to go. After a scrum 5 metres into Stewartry territory Cambuslang gave away a penalty for going into the ruck from the side. The pressure kick was just wide of the uprights leaving the final score Stewartry 14 Cambuslang 15.
This was a good performance by the Stewartry squad particularly in the first half. Given the weather conditions it was a credit to both teams for playing a running and handling game which was good to watch.
Stewartry squad:- D Kerr, J Fingland, T J McCarney, Danny Boyd, S Carson, C Mosey, J Farquhar, M McCulloch, D Burton, T Cannon (captain), I Fenwick, R Porteous, Douglas Boyd, S McCulloch, M Smith, I McMorran, H Sainsbury, C Fenwick, J Kerr, A Kerr, A McMorran, R Wallace.
