Ayr make heavy weather of beating Gala

Apr 2 2010 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

IT WAS ladies’ day at Millbrae and the sight of a bevy offemales whooping it up in the clubhouse prompted one home fan to comment at half time that there was another bunch of big lassies on the park – and they weren't the ones wearing maroon jerseys!

Of course, there is a high level of expectation given the outstanding achievements over the past seasons and when Ayr fall below their own standards, as they did massively on Saturday with a performance of abject complacency, they can expect the opprobrium of the support.

If there is such a thing as a cup tie approach then Gala had it in spades in this Scottish Hydro Premier Cup quarter-final as they gave Ayr a real fight until they ran out of steam.

It should have been obvious to Ayr that the borderers were going to be no pushover when Gala didn't have a sniff of the ball for the first six minutes but prevented them from getting near their twenty two.

Indeed, had the normally reliable Graham Spiers not missed with a couple of penalties and Frazier Climo landed one from two, Gala could have turned round deservedly three points ahead.

Ayr squandered a ton of possession, literally launching the ball into space like a visually impaired NASA controller with awesome regularity and finding the feisty Gala back row with Steve Cairns, in particular, on hand to pounce on their errors.

Opeta Palepoi was a handful for the Ayr pack who coughed up ball constantly and a couple of nifty moves involving the Lees – full back Miller and centre Kibble – were only ended by last ditch tackles.

Having complacently dug a hole for themselves, Ayr could find no way of extricating themselves for 60 minutes and, as the game wore on, panic spread through the side in extraordinary fashion given that the only senior player missing was skipper Damien Kelly.

It took Ayr until the final quarter to establish any superiority after a move set up and completed by Pinewood Restaurant man of the match Jonny McClung edged them 8-0 ahead but tries by Gibson Siwo on 60 minutes and a typical solo effort from Climo with ten minutes to go took the match away from the game borderers.

Even then they had their chances and a try for hooker Mike Christie, scrum half Ian Ross or No 8 Graeme Bryce, all of who had serious dips at the Ayr line, would not have flattered Gala.

Ayr turned to the power of the pack in the final five minutes and two identical tries from driving mauls claimed by Jono Crossan skewed the scoreline a bit too much after a splendid effort by the visitors which belied their position in Premier Two.

Coach Kenny Murray admitted: “It was a really lack lustre performance and we were nowhere near as clinical as we should have been. Not playing last week didn't help and we lost some of the momentum which had built up but we should still have been a lot better.

"I told the players at half time that the only thing that we could take from the first half was that we weren't behind and all credit to Gala, they came with the right attitude and we didn't respond well until late on.

“We gave ourselves problems by not getting over the gain line and having to play too much rugby on the back foot, our decision making at the line out was poor but overall we got a reasonable result but we would have expected to be more dominant against a side from Premier Two."

The cup has seen some of Ayr's poorest performances as anyone who witnessed the debacle against BIggar at Millbrae a few seasons ago will testify but now it is semi-final time and the draw was as good as Ayr could have wished.

A home tie on Saturday against Heriot’s (3pm) with Currie travelling to the Greenyards to face Melrose in the other semi. All sorts of factors kick into make the Millbrae semi afascinating prospect.

The tie throws together Scotland's two representatives in the British and Irish Cup, Ayr winning two matches out of five and Heriot’s none while in their previous meeting in the opening match of the Premier One season at home, Ayr won 37-21.

Of course, there was that acrimonious quarter-final a couple of seasons ago at Millbrae when Ayr succumbed to the Goldenacre mind games and the Heriot’s victory prompted the resignation of then Ayr coach Craig Redpath.

Murray added: "We would have been happy to face any of the three sides left in the cup at home and that has worked for us and it will be a terrific match against a much improved Heriot’s."

Director of rugby Jock Craig added:"It’s a fantastic draw and it’s there for the team if they are up for it."

Heriot’s are cup holders and will not readily give up the chance of appearing at Murrayfield on April 24 on finals day for the third year in succession so there is only one place to be on Saturday.

Get behind the Scottish champions for what possibly could be the next big step towards an incredible cup and league double.

Ayr could have Ross Curle and Grant Anderson back in contention after their stint in the Southern hemisphere with the Scotland Sevens squad and Stephen Adair, who was stretchered off after a bad bang on the leg, may also have recovered in time for the semi-final thanks to the ministrations of Ayr's splendid physio and medical back up.

Ayr: A. Wilson; C. Taylor, J. McClung, M. Stewart, S. Manning; F. Climo, J. Hunter; G. Reid, S. Adair, S. Fenwick, S. Sutherland, G. Tippett, J. Crossan, A. Dunlop, P. Burke. Subs: G. Sykes (for Adair in 60), G. Siwo (for Burke 30-45, for Wilson 55) B McPherson (for Burke 66), D. Steele (for Manning 6).