Ayr Rugby Club hit back to beat Heriot’s

Sep 17 2010 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

IF ever a team wanted to breach fortress Millbrae it was Heriot’s who hadn't beaten Ayr since the controversial cup quarter-final three seasons ago.

If ever a team was determined to keep their home record intact it was Ayr and the result? Another pulsating duel in the sun with Ayr taking the spoils, a try bonus and hauling themselves into joint top spot in Premier One alongside Boroughmuir.

The re-vamping of the Premier league set-up may have its flaws but it has undoubtedly ensured that each match has an edge.

And when you throw in the rivalry that exists between Ayr and the Goldenacre outfit, the stage was set for a belter the big Millbrae crowd were not disappointed.

Heriot’s threatened early, hammering on the line then releasing their pacy backs to have a tilt but Ayr stayed calm, held their discipline and soaked up the pressure.

Heriot’s had no time on the ball and after the opening foray, Ayr smacked a penalty downfield, Damien Kelly, Mark Bennett and Andy Dunlop surged down the right, some dinky offloads between backs and forwards and lo, there was Kelly now on the other side of the field to pluck the pass off his toes to go over for the first try after 11 minutes.

Bennett's conversion attempt from the touchline was just wide but Ayr had put down a marker and they endorsed it six minutes later when Ross Curle finished off another scorching move to spin out of the tackle for try number two.

Bennett's conversion again swung wide but the pressure was unrelenting as Scott Forrest and Curle combined into the Heriot’s red zone but the visitors showed they were by no means out of it and the counter attack from the turnover forced Grant Anderson into a try saving tackle on Max Nimmo.

That shook life into Heriot’s and Graham Wilson banged over a penalty, hooker Scott Burnett was clear through but again Anderson saved the try and again they slotted the penalty to reduce the margin to four.

How far the momentum had swung was clear with eight minutes of the half to go and a superb counter attack wrong footed the Ayr defence for Max Learmonth to scamper through and complete a move started somewhere around Burns’ Cottage.

Wilson converted, Ayr were behind, in trouble and in some considerable disarray then when Wilson landed a penalty with the last kick of the half after Alan Dymock had set up the chance, it looked as though Heriot’s we about to lay the Millbrae jinx.

The third minute of the second half saw the game turn on one of those exquisite moments when you realise you have witnessed something special in sport.

There was nothing on as the ball was kicked over Bennett and rolled towards the Ayr twenty two and indeed the youngster guddled it a bit as he went back to collect then came that moment of magic.

With no room to work on the touchline, he beat the follow up players, took off, side stepped, shimmied to well past half way and suddenly was in open water to pin his ears back for what was described as one of the beat individual tries scored at Millbrae.

Given the youth of the scorer, it may be that in a few years time those who witnessed that moment on Saturday will recall that when Mark Bennett came of age, to invoke the old Max Boyce phrase 'I was there.'

That broke Heriot’s and although they came back, Ayr were now buzzing. They stopped a dangerous looking move on the twenty two, Stephen Adair, Gordon Reid, Cammy Taylor and Anderson romped 80 yards downfield and from the penalty, Curle bagged the points and the lead at 18-16.

Ayr then deployed their subs, Richard McCallum making a welcome re-appearance coming on for Mark Stewart who had another big game then Nick Cox and AJ McFarlane as Andy Kelly and Jamie Hunter came off to much deserved applause.

To be able to bring on top quality players fresh at that stage is simply invaluable, Cox had some big carries, McFarlane was immense and it was from his break that man of the match Andy Dunlop burst over for the bonus point clinching try. The kicking roles from Dundee had been swopped, Bennett this time giving way to Curle and the Ayr No10 converted the try with a massive shot from the touchline.

There was no come back from Heriot’s whose game was really shot from about 60 minutes on and when Curle rubbed it in with a 70 yard touch finder with five minutes to go, Ayr ran down the clock to the whistle.

"It is nice to be up there again," was the masterly understatement from Ayr Director of Rugby Jock Craig.

He added: "To get there, the team has shown real character and self-belief to go unbeaten in the four opening games. To collect three bonus points is fantastic."

Indeed it is because the side has been beset by personnel and injury worries and it is testimony to players like Glen Tippett, Stephen Adair and Andy Dunlop who have been playing out of position but turning in top class performances.

Nevertheless, it didn't all please coach Kenny Murray. "We made a lot of basic errors and I was disappointed in some of our play but we stuck in and dug out a valuable win.

"I was happy with the way we closed down their danger man like Cammy Ferguson and Colin Goudie and with the exception of the try gave them very little room to move and we showed a lot of resilience to control the game the way we did when they started to get tired in the final quarter.

"Mark Bennett's try turned the game for us and it is probably the best individual score I have seen at Millbrae since I have been here. Stephen Adair played out of position again but showed great work rate, put in some important tackles and linked well.

"We need to be on top of our game against Hawks on Saturday because that will be the toughest test so far for us and we will have to up our performance at Old Anniesland."

It promises to be another cracker against Hawks but, provided everyone has come through Saturday unscathed and survives training, Ayr will have that specialist line-out jumper in place on Saturday when Dean Stewart is scheduled to play his first game for Ayr, Rob Colhoun could be fit to take pressure off the back row and you suddenly realise that Ayr have got themselves into top spot only one point off maximum and have had to constantly patch up the side. Awesome!

The 2nd XV beat Kirkcaldy by 65-24 to make it three wins on the bounce but Millbrae went down in their league opener to Lenzie.