This rearranged BT West One league game was switched to Edinburgh from Oban as it was Silver Saturday at Murrayfield and the Oban women’s team was playing in the BT Women’s Bowl final which they won beating Garoich 45-5.
This change of venue played into the Stewartry hands as with the clubs 48th annual dinner the on the Friday night it was now just a 2 hour plus journey to Edinburgh instead of a 5 hour one to Oban.
OBAN LORNE 20pts STEWARTRY 24pts.
The Oban team arrived close to kick off time with no chance of a warm up Stewartry using this advantage to good effect and scoring the opening try in only five minutes. McCarney and Picken made the opening for Andrew Kerr to run in between the posts. Craig Mosey converted the points. 7-0 the Blacks.
Stewartry lost hooker Daav Thomson with an ankle injury and he was replaced by Jamie Farquhar on the wing with Danny Boyd going to hooker.
Midway through the first half a break from his own half saw the Oban centre crash over in the corner the conversion was missed. 7-5 Blacks.
Stewartry turned up the pressure and some combination play between the forwards and backs saw T J McCarney jink his way in at the posts for the second try. Mosey again converted. 14-5 Blacks. Farquhar and McCarney both came close to scoring for the Blacks in the first half before Oban kicked a penalty just on halftime. 14-8 Blacks.
Oban kicked off and within five minutes of the restart the big centre had cleared all the tackles out of his way as he again charged to the line for second Oban try. The conversion was added 15-14 Oban.
Fifty minutes and Stewartry retained their lead with the seasons leading try scorer Steven Hogg picking up at the back of a scrum ten metres out to score.Mosey added the points 21-15.Blacks.
Oban were stung back into action and the game was being played in the Stewartry 22 with Oban opting for a number of penalty scrums in front of the posts before they were rewarded with their Stand off crashing over the line. He then missed an easy conversion to put Oban ahead. 21-20 Blacks.
As the time ran out Stewartry started to tighten their grip on the game keeping tight control of the ball until a penalty chance came for Craig Mosey to add three more points from in front of the posts. 24-20 Blacks. Stewartry kept possession for the last two minutes in what had been a hard fought game on a very hard dry pitch something unseen on the west of Scotland this season.
Stewartry play their last game of this long season at home to Irvine at Greenlaw with a 3.00pm kick off This weekend Saturday May 5th – match sponsors Tarff Valley.
