BT Premiership

AYR 29

STIRLING COUNTY 14

By Elena Hogarth

AYR left it to the last 15 minutes to secure their four-try 29-14 victory over Stirling County in the BT Premiership at Bridgehaugh.

County’s home ground can usually boast the best view in the league, the Wallace Monument at one end of the pitch and Stirling Castle at the other. But the historic city was shrouded in a blanket of mist all afternoon. Temperatures barely got past 2C, and it was telling as players with numbing fingers made a series of handling errors.

Still, the crowd were treated to two exciting tries in the first half and the presence of a former All Black.

Ayr’s Danny McCluskey was first on the scoreboard, zooming on to a Frazier Climo offload and running in from 40 metres. Climo converted before County’s lively winger Logan Trotter replied and full-back Jonny Hope added the extras.

The All Black in question was hooker Corey Flynn, now on the books of Glasgow Warriors but released for the weekend to play for Stirling. While the County troops can say they lined up alongside a man who gained 15 caps for New Zealand, Ayr winger Craig Gossman can boast his side-step left him for dead, and young Lewis Anderson can hold his head high, knowing he scrummed down against the World Cup winner and was none the worse for it.

A Climo penalty was the only difference at half-time, and Ayr certainly weren’t getting the better of their hosts either side of the break.

Stirling put them under pressure at the scrum but Ayr were rock solid at the line-out, Anderson hitting his target with every throw.

County nudged themselves into the lead in the second half, replacement forward Andrew Grant-Suttie scoring and Hope converting. There was then a strange sort of stalemate – albeit a fairly energetic one – as neither side could gain any advantage over the other.

Things changed for Ayr when they brought on the young fresh legs of centre Stafford McDowall, the 18-year-old livening up proceedings in midfield.

Scrum-half David Armstrong, gaining many an admirer throughout the league for his skill and industrious play, had another excellent afternoon, calling the shots with Climo and captain Pete McCallum, and together with McDowall, they opened up the game.

George Hunter, with pace and athleticism that belies his front row position, crashed over for a try, converted by Climo, and put Ayr in front. The men in pink and black didn’t look back.

The whole team seemed to waken up, with even 6’6” second row Scott Sutherland charging into the fray at some speed. It was winger Richard Dalgleish – on for the injured Craig Gossman – who sped over for the third try out wide, which went unconverted.

All Ayr needed was the fourth try to get the bonus point, but there was only three minutes left and County were gritting their teeth in defence.

They couldn’t stop McDowall though, the youngster effortlessly breaking away before passing to full-back Grant Anderson, who scored. Climo converted, and moments later it was all over, an exhausting end to a strangely up-and-down, if entertaining,= match.

Ayr head coach Calum Forrester was full of praise for both teams.

“Things weren’t going our way in the first half but we showed some grit to score three tries in the last fifteen minutes. Stirling played well and really put us under pressure.”

Meanwhile the 2nd XV experienced defeat away to Hamilton 2nd XV in BT Reserve 1, losing 20-13 and it was no better for Millbrae RFC in BT West 2. They were just pipped 22-25 by Waysiders Drumpellier.

The national cup competitions begin in earnest this weekend, with Ayr travelling north to play Aberdeen Grammar in the third round of the BT Cup on Saturday (kick-off 1.30pm – set your alarm clocks if hitting the road to support them!) Ayr Ladies enter the Sarah Beaney Cup at the second round stage with an away game against Broughton on Sunday (also 1.30pm).