Published: Monday, 14th April, 2008 5:28pm

Ayr coach Redpath quits

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AT the end of a week packed with controversy Ayr were hit with a double whammy as coach Craig Redpath quit in the wake of their cup quarter final defeat to Heriots.

After prolonged negotiations which at one time looked as though they might require the United Nations to mediate, the SHE Cup quarter final tie was declared on for Thursday night but it was not until Tuesday that the decision was finally made.

Heriots pitched up at Millbrae for the game, won 17-13 to go into the semi-final against Jed at Goldenacre, and on Friday morning coach Craig Redpath announced that he was stepping down.

With Julian Montoro the third player in the Ayr squad to suffer a broken leg, the Millbrae side were desperately short of backs and Ally Little from associate club Whitecraigs was drafter in to the midfield with Richard McCallum making up the center partnership, it would have been expected that Heriots would attack the Ayr midfield.

But in the first half the defence was rock solid and Ayr went into the break 3-0 ahead courtesy of a Kenny Diffenthal penalty. It took until the final quarter for the visitors to breach the Ayr defence but when Ricky Mill scooted in under the posts in sixty two minutes, Graham Wilson added to his 15th minute penalty to give Heriots a 10-3 lead.

Flanker Struan Dewar was red-carded for stamping and Ayr took advantage of the shorthanded Heriots pack to pile on the pressure and Stewart Fenwick was driven over for a try with fourteen minutes remaining.

The kick was missed but Ayr kept play in the Heriots danger zone until a slip pass from skipper AJ McFarlane ten yards from the line was nabbed by a defending hand, the ball was wellied downfield and from that field position, it was Heriots opportunity to turn the screw. Again Ayr defended as though their lives depended on it but a slick handling move put Heriots full back Colin Goudie in under the posts with Wilson"s conversion clinching the tie, Pat MacArthur"s try in the fourth minute of injury time no consolation for the Millbrae men.

Over the piece Heriots probably deserved to shade it and credit to them for travelling on a Thursday night and going away with the spoils but the closeness of the 17-13 scoreline still reflects well on an Ayr side whose skill at patching up the squad throughout the season was stretched just a bit too far.

The opportunity of a home semi-final against Jed, though by no means a foregone conclusion, was Ayr"s best ever chance of reaching the final at Murrayfield and the sense of disappointment around Millbrae was palpable.

Nevertheless I found no one of a pink and black persuasion after the game who denied that Heriots were worthy of their win and most admitted that Ayr had, on the night, simply not be good enough. Such are the breaks in sport but no one expected the announcement from the coach on Friday morning that he was stepping down but his decision was made and Craig Redpath is not a man to change his mind.

Ayr president Billy McHarg acknowledged the contribution of the the coach.

He said: 'Craig has done a terrific job for the club and taken us to our best ever finishes in Premier 1 and he leaves a team which has great potential. We are now actively looking for a new head coach for what must be one of the most attractive jobs in Scottish club rugby.' Former Scotland B international Redpath had been at the helm at Millbrae for five years and had helped the club to second place in Premier 1 last season and to a top six finish this term despite a horrendous run of injuries to key players.

He said: 'It is time for a fresh face at Millbrae. Ayr are a great club and whoever takes over will have a first class squad and excellent back up from inside the club.'

Director of rugby Jock Craig added: 'Craig brought a professionalism and commitment to the club and took the club in a direction which gave us real success over the past two seasons.'

So after a scratch side went out of the 125th Melrose sevens on Saturday in the first round by 33-0 to Boroughmuir, the league programme of a roller coaster of a season will come to an end with the final match against Currie at Malleny Park on Saturday. Only one further comment need be made on the departure of the coach. With only the Melrose sevens and the final league match remaining, it is sad that his decison to part company with Ayr didn"t wait until after they were past and the season ended.

It would have prevented the headline in a national newspaper on Saturday 'Redpath resigns in wake of Cup defeat to Heriots.'

Not the way the coach who has taken Ayr to heights they have never before achieved would want to be or deserves to be remembered.