Ayr beat Boroughmuir after nine week absence from Millbrae

Feb 4 2011 Ayrshire Post (main ed)

WELL, was it worth a nine week wait for the Ayr faithful to welcome the team back to Millbrae for a much needed fix of Premier rugby?

You bet it was, this Premier ‘A’ clash with Boroughmuir, a side who have done Ayr few favours in the past and against whom they have rarely prospered.

The game had everything – perfect conditions, quality rugby, individual skill and collective endeavour of the highest order, controversy and a good, if harmless, punch-up, which in the opinion of some of the old school watchers' came far too late and would have settled it down a lot earlier.'

Ayr were back from their travels, Boroughmuir back from their travails having not kicked a ball in anger since November 20.

The visitors were the first on the board after 10 minutes and Ally Warnock made no mistake with the penalty although if it had not been awarded it would have been interesting to see what Andy Dunlop would have done with the interception on his own line as the whistle went with only 90 yards for the back row man to go.

Ayr hit back and Ross Curle levelled the score with a penalty from in front of the posts but Warnock again tormented the hosts first with a break which pulled out a try saving tackle on wing Ross Neil by Cammy Taylor then goaling the penalty from the field position they had gained.

After 18 minutes, 'Muir No8 Jamie Doubleday collected the first of the game’s four yellow cards and Ayr made the shorthanded defence pay as Grant Anderson timed his run beautifully into the line then his pass to Steven Manning to perfection for the winger to score. Before Doubleday could get back on, Mark Stewart joined him in having breather but when the No8 came back, it was just in time to latch onto some woeful decision making under pressure by Ayr with daft passes and equally daft attempts at running out of defence which eventually led to Warnock crashing over for the try. His kick took 'Muir to 13-8 with five minutes of the half left.

Then came a moment of magic with AJ MacFarlane producing his own brand of sorcery as he collected a loose kick from Sam Johnson and set off on a mazy run which left four defenders in his wake before feeding Andy Dunlop for a superb support try.

At 13-13 at the break, it was all to play for with as 'Muir slammed into the second half with a vengeance. Ayr buckled under pressure almost immediately for Doubleday to crash over to give Warnock a simple conversion and collect 15 of his side’s 20 points.

When replacement lock Tom McColl was binned after only being on for nine minutes, Ayr took advantage again with Mark Stewart almost putting Anderson over then setting up the position for Curle to slot a penalty, something he repeated six minutes later after a rasping kick, chase and tackle by Cammy Taylor produced another chance for three points.

This was the signal for Ayr to crank up their game but equally, it was a signal for the 'Muir men to employ the defence tactic under the heading of 'heroic' particularly with 14 men as Tom Bury collected yellow card number four of the game and Muir's third.

Equally smart was the tactic, as the legs grew weary, of getting the physios to attend frequent 'injuries' and at one point a caravan of four Boroughmuir attendants were scampering about the pitch like field medics in a war zone.

Crafty play by the visitors since they got away with it but the question must be raised whether the game should be stopped for the insertion of contact lens or the strapping of a thumb.

To an extent though it worked in Ayr's favour as their pressure reached boiling point and bubbled over with a delightful try by Robbie Fergusson to cap an assured performance beyond his years by the 17-year-old No10.

Curle converted, more 'Muir players fell over and finally in a raucas finale, Damien Kelly burst over and when he discovered that your correspondent was unsighted at that moment assured me that he went in from 50 yards.

Actually it was about seven but no less important for that since the 31-20 win clinched the bonus point and keeps the top four, who all won with a bonus, tightly bunched going into the championship run-in.

Stewart admitted: "It may not have been as physical as the B and I Cup games but it was certainly as quick and they played a very quick game.

“We knew that if we started well then we should win comfortably but we didn't and we were right in it for 80 minutes. We should have been more patient in our build-up but it wasn't until into the final 20 minutes that the game opened up but to take five points from a game like that is pleasing."

Skipper Kelly, whose trademark carries were a big part of the win, said: “We knew how Boroughmuir would play unlike the B and I Cup games where we are going into the unknown.

“We shot ourselves in the foot with poor discipline in the first half. We weren't really worried going into the last 20 minutes behind on the scoreboard because it has long been a trademark of this side that we can pull a result out late in the game but credit to Boroughmuir, they merit being higher up the league than they are."

So Ayr now have a week off since six from Millbrae are involved in the Scottish Club International in France on Friday night.

Prop Gordon Reid, and Damien Kelly are in the squad as is Saturday's man of the match Andy Kelly and the three selected for the first time are Rob Colhoun who was again outstanding in a splendid back row against Boroughmuir and Curle.

The other member of the squad going to Caen? None other than Peter Laverie who is on the coaching team and we wish them all the best of luck in doing a double over a French side the Scots so memorably beat at Netherdale last season.

Next up at Millbrae on February 12 Ayr play the first of their two home matches in the British and Irish Cup against Llandovery (kick off 12 noon) and with the second against Doncaster on February 26, it is all to play for with the chance of a quarter-final spot in the cross border competition, which is growing in recognition to the extent that highlights are now being regularly shown on television, a real possibility.

With the Premier championship run-in and the defence of the cup as well as the B and I Cup ties still to come, a great second half of the season is in prospect – weather permitting!