Ayr Advertiser | Sport | Ayr serve up Currie in cup cracker

Saturday, 11th October, 2008

Published: Tuesday, 8th April, 2008 10:00

Ayr serve up Currie in cup cracker

Ayr 24 Currie 21

The intensity of this round six clash in the Scottish Hydro Electric Cup was exactly as expected of a contest between two sides who have served up a couple of epics in the past few seasons.

Games between Ayr and Currie should carry a government health warning for those of a nervous disposition and to after a tie which had every thing from cracking tries, awesome physical combat and a dollop of controversy, it produced a classic nail biter of a finish.

In deceptive sunshine with a biting wind, Currie had the early advantage and a nifty Andy Muir incursion put Andrew Binikos over in six minutes.

Johnny Smith added the conversion but two minutes later Kenny Diffenthal had Ayr on board with a simple penalty. Things looked ominous for the home side when center Julien Montoro limped off to be replaced by rookie Graham Fisher but although they had the momentum at that point, Currie didn’t manage to exploit the inexperience of the Ayr midfield.

Indeed, the initiative shifted to Ayr, their pack started to rumble and from a close quarter scrum Colin White burst to the posts, AJ McFarlane craftily switched direction and Ryan Holland scooted in for his first try.

Diffenthal converted from wide out but with five minutes of the half left, an Ayr guddle close to the Currie line saw the ever alert Richard Sneddon snipe away then put flanker James Taggart off on a lung-burster for splendid opportunist score. Smith converted but Currie were penalised from the re-start and Diffenthal’s kick then and again four minutes into injury time took Ayr in 16-14 up at the break.

Neither side could make anything of a torrid battle in the third quarter, momentum swinging one way then the other, Damien Kelly and Gordon Reid making hard but friuitless yards for Ayr while Andy Adam and James Taggart battled equally intensely for Currie but Glen Tippett it was who set up the next Ayr score. The big No8 burst down the right, Andy Wilson scampered infield and the ball reached Holland for his second try.

Ayr promptly went to sleep in defence, Sneddon again opened them up and put Ross Weston galloping away from all of forty meters for Smith to convert and tie the scores.

Diffenthal had four chances with second half penalties, each beautifully struck, each swung agonisingly away by the unpredictable wind so when extra time loomed and Ayr were awarded a penalty it took a bit of nerve to step up for the shot.

Nerves the Ayr No10 didn’t show, the kick was nailed and game over.

“It was a great game for the fans to watch and we threw everything at Ayr and they held on to win so good luck to them in the next round” was the sporting comment from Currie skipper Andy Adam although coach Ally Donaldson commented, understandably “The players are baffled at a three to one (15-5) penalty count.. We weren’t clinical enough at times and we had to scramble in defence but I am delighted we are now into the quarter finals to face Heriots here at Millbrae” said Ayr coach Craig Redpath.

The SRU rescheduled fixture list shows the Ayr v Heriots quarter final to be played at Millbrae on April 10.

Highlights of the game can be seen on www.scottishrugbytv.com.

Teams Ayr G Anderson; A Wilson, J Montoro, R McCallum, R Holland; K Diffenthal, AJ McFarlane; G Reid, P MacArthur, E Logan, D Kelly, S Sutherland, C White, J Wilson, G Tippet Subs S Fenwick(for Logan in 28 then Logan for Reid in 60)J Rae, S Henderson, G Fisher(for Montoro in 23).

Social Bookmarking What are these?