The scoreline suggests an easy game for the Blacks, but that was not the case as Allan Glens made Stewartry fight for every point. This demonstrated with two of the Stewartry team being taken off injured in the first 10 minutes. Kieren McGuire – damaged knee and Lochie Spence – broken collar bone.
Stewartry Under 18’s – 52
Allan Glens Under 18’s – 10
Stewartry got off to a great start, taking the ball at kick off and keeping possession for the first 7 or 8 minutes before Kieren McGuire burst through to set up Lochie Spence for a try which was converted by Archie Picken. 5 minutes later a great team effort and great offload from Lochie Spence (despite being injured in the process) allowed Captain Alasdair Hannay to burst through the Allan Glens line to score under the posts with Archie Picken converting again.
Allan Glens fought straight back and shoddy defence let them through to score another try. Stewartry responded again with another two tries before half time. 19-5 at half time.
Allan Glens started the second half the same way Stewartry had started the first half and broke away the length of the park to score in the corner to close the defecit. However this seemed to give the Blacks a wake up call and they started stringing better passages of play together and threw the ball wide after three or four passages of play from the forwards with Alistair Wood scoring a great try in the corner after great work by Full Back Tommy McGrath who had an outstanding game.
Further scores followed in quick succession going into the last quarter from Archie Picken, Murray Wright, Connor McGuire, Ryan Cochrane and Gregor Hamblin. Archie Picken kicking a very respectable 6 from 8.
All credit to Allan Glens who were on the attack again in the Stewartry 22 when the final whistle blew.
A superb team effort from the Blacks and it would be unfair to have a man of the match. Captain Alasdair Hannay showing great leadership skills which will be very much required for the cup final in April (date to be advised and venue will be the first team out of the hat between Stewartry and Whitecraigs from Newton Mearns, Glasgow.
Before the cup-final the lads have the small matter of an Easter Weekend Tour to the Isle of Man to take part in a Seven-a-side tournament and a 15 a-side match.
Stewartry Squad:
Murray Wright
Finlay Smith
Archie Picken
Andrew Budde
Connor McGuire
Gregor Todd
Gregor Hamblin
Alasdair Hannay (Captain)
Ryan Cochrane
Archie Nicolson
Lochlann Spence
Ben Spence
Tommy McGrath
Kieren McGuire
Tom Allan
Danny Perkins
Alistair Wood
Brady Rutherford
