STEWARTRY 20 CUMNOCK 16
The BT West Division Two league took Stewartry to Cumnock on Saturday.
After kicking off Cumnock were penalised in the second minute for an off the ball incident giving Stewartry a kick at goal but it fell short.
Taking the ball at a lineout on the halfway line the Blacks broke up the right side but the ball went into touch. Carson caught the throw in and put the ball over to the opposite side and into the Cumnock 22 where home players turned it over.
Carson charged down the home defender’s clearing kick.. Good support by Mosey let him in to get the try which he converted.. Twelve minutes gone.
Cumnock picked up at a scrum 25 metres from the Stewartry try line to move forward. they chipped the ball over the Stewartry back line but Farquhar was on hand to clear it away. The home side caught the ball to mount another attack to get back into the Blacks 22 but Stewartry gave away a penalty for handling in the ruck. 3 points to Cumnock.
The Blacks got another penalty giving them a 22 lineout. They caught the ball and moved forward going offside in the process.giving the home side a penalty 30 metres from the Stewartry line but the kick missed.
Both sides gave away penalties over the next 15 minutes with each penetrating the opposition 22 but neither team could add any points.
With 5 minutes remaining to the break the hosts got a penalty when Stewartry were guilty of going over the top of the ruck.on their own 22. Cumnock added another 3 points.
Cumnock broke up the right wing from the restart and chipped over the Blacks defence into the 22 where John Picken picked the ball up to clear it away. Again the home team attacked to move back into the Blacks 22.
Stewartry’s tight defence stopped Cumnock 5 metres from the goal line but they were penalised for not releasing. Mosey’s kick went to halfway.
The hosts caught the ball in a lineout and pushed forward but great work by McMorran turned it over. Stewartry got another penalty to take them up to the home 22. Cumnock secured the ball but they were shoved into touch as the whistle signalled the interval.
Into the second period Porteous caught the ball from the start kick sending it to Milligan who went up the left wing before he was put into touch on the Cumnock 22.
Stewartry gave away a penalty with a lineout infringement taking the hosts up to the Blacks 22. The Cumnock forwards secured the ball at the lineout and went into a rolling maul.
The maul went down 5 metres short of the Blacks line where home players went in from the side giving Stewartry a penalty. The kick took them up to their own 10 metre line.
With 10 minutes gone home forwards took the ball in a lineout putting it out to the left wing. John Picken stopped the attack but Cumnock recycled quickly to break up the middle and go in under the posts. They added the extras.
Four minutes later Stewartry were penalised for not releasing in a ruck on their own 22 giving Cumnock another 3 points.
Minutes later the Blacks got back into the Cumnock 22 where the hosts gave away a penalty when they came in from the side of the ruck. Farquhar caught them off guard with a quick tap to break through home defenders but he got stopped 5 metres from the line. Cumnock managed a turnover to kick it away.
In a lineout McCulloch stole the ball to move forward and passed to Porteous. He went through 3 tackles and over to score with Mosey adding the conversion.
Going into the last quarter Stewartry moved back up to the hosts 22 when Cumnock players infringed. They lost another 10 metres after improper chat to the referee and Mosey added 3 more points to the Blacks tally.
Fifteen minutes from time Stewartry were unlucky to be penalised for a high tackle. Cumnock got the 10 metre lineout but their throw in was squint.
From the scrum Stewartry got back up to the home end of the field where Cumnock players were offside giving the Blacks a 5 metre lineout. Contact with a Stewartry player in the air gave them another penalty and Mosey took the points.
With 10 minutes left the home side stepped up a gear getting well into the Stewartry 22. Cumnock had 7 phases getting closer to the Blacks try line but a try saving tackle by Andrew Picken stopped them a metre out.
Stewartry managed to turn it over to kick the ball clear but were caught handling in the ruck. Once more Cumnock pushed for the line but they too handled in the ruck letting the Blacks off the hook.
At the lineout again McCulloch took the ball as the pack drove forward but home forwards turned it over to get back up to the Blacks 22 where they knocked it forward.
In the scrum Muir picked up but he was caught as Cumnock gave away another penalty for holding on. The kick took Stewartry back to halfway and a lineout. The ball went to Muir who kicked away for the end of the game. Final score Stewartry 20 Cumnock 16.
Stewartry put in a good performance especially in defence and with some of the team playing out of position.
Stewartry squad:- J Picken, S Milligan, J Fingland, D Boyd, A Picken, C Mosey, J Farquhar, I McMorran, D Thomson, D Burton, R Porteous (captain),
A Kerr, S Carson, S McCulloch, J Muir, M Taylor, R Cunningham, K Roberts.
