STEWARTRY 3 ANNAN 9
The visitors at Greenlaw on Saturday were Annan RFC for this BT West Division Two game.
Starting the game off Stewartry were soon back on the halfway line for the first scrum of the match. The Blacks pack took control pushing Annan back on their their put in to put pressure on their number nine who kicked down field.
Eight minutes in the visitors caught the ball at a lineout on the Stewartry 22. They found a way through the Blacks defence to touch down for a try but the last pass was forward.
The Black’s strong scrummage in the 5 metre scrum allowed them to clear the ball away. Pressure from Annan took them back up to the home 5 metre line from a penalty. Stewartry spoiled in the lineout allowing them to to clear their lines.
With 15 minutes gone the visitors gave away a penalty for holding on in the ruck. This gave the Blacks a lineout on their own 10 metre line. Annan took the ball sending it to their number 9 who kicked for goal but it went wide of the uprights. However Stewartry had been offside giving the visitors a penalty and again the kick went wide.
Annan pressure kept the Blacks pinned in their own half of the field for much of the first quarter. It was seventeen minutes before Stewartry ventured into the Annan 22 when Smith managed to break away from a lineout. He got stopped and the ball was knocked on.
Into the second quarter Annan were penalised inside their own 22 for a high tackle and Mosey put 3 points on the scoreboard.
Thirty minutes in Carson charged up the the right wing but an Annan defender put him in touch. The Annan player had to leave the field with an elbow injury.
At a lineout on their own 10 metre Stewartry went offside allowing the visitors to get an easy penalty and level the score.
Moving toward the break the visitors kept up the pressure to get deep in to the home 22 but tight Stewartry defence prevented Annan getting over the try line.
At the start of the second period Annan secured the ball in a scrum on the halfway line and attacked up the middle . But Austin put in a great tackle managing a lovely turnover. He broke away but was stopped on the visitor’s 22.
Another Stewartry penalty took them to halfway for a lineout. Porteous took the ball at the back, sending it to Mosey who punted for another lineout 8 metres from the visitors line. Annan secured the ball and kicked away.
Into the last quarter A Kerr and McCarney replaced Henderson and Thomson. Stewartry gave away a penalty for holding on in the ruck on their own 10 metre line. The Annan kick was wide of the sticks.
From a lineout the ball went to Mosey who sent it deep into the Annan 22 but their defenders caught it and went on the attack up the left wing. Again the excellent Stewartry defence stopped the visitors on the Blacks 22. But they were penalised for handling in the ruck giving Annan 3 more points.
Stewartry did it again 3 minutes later when they were offside 20 metres form their goal line. Annan slotted the penalty.
With 7 minutes to go the Blacks caught the ball in a lineout on the visitors 22 with Burton driving forward toward the try line but he was stopped 5 metres out.
The ball was knocked on. Annan got the put in to the scrum but it was squint. From the Blacks put in they took the ball but there was no way through the Annan defence.
In the closing minutes Annan were penalised for a high tackle. Stewartry got up within 10 metres of the Annan line.
At the lineout the Blacks forwards took the ball and drove up the right wing and then went left but once more the Annan defence stopped the Stewartry attack and got a turnover to kick down field. Full time score Stewartry 3 Annan 9.
Throughout the game the Stewartry scrummage was excellent but Annan pressure did not allow the Blacks to use that platform. Defensively both teams were evenly matched giving spectators a good game to watch.
Stewartry squad: J Fingland, D Thomson, R Austin, Danny Boyd, S Carson, C Mosey, J Farquhar, K Amos, D Burton, T Cannon (Captain), L Henderson, R Porteous, J Kerr, S McCulloch, M Smith, A Kerr, T J McCarney, D Maxwell.
