Ayr's unbeaten run ends in red mist against Currie

Oct 19 2012 by Ron Evans, Ayrshire Post

If you are going to pick somewhere to go in a week of troubles that somewhere is not Malleny Park.

You have lost a key forward, your scrum half is half way across the world playing sevens, a winger is pulled from the squad on Friday, two backs break down in the warm-up and a centre collects his second red in seven games for the same offence.

Ayr had no choice obviously as Currie were next up in the Premiership campaign but it was a makeshift back division which trotted out to face a side who had been growing in confidence.

Nick Cox broke a thumb in training, Peter Jerevich was in the Scotland sevens squad in Australia, Gavin Lowe was pulled on Friday night with a hand injury, Robbie Fergusson tried but didn’t succeed in getting over a dead leg and was joined in the warm-up casualties by Craig Gossman who had to drop to the bench while Ross Curle collected his second red of the season, the first in the opening game against Boroughmuir, for again committing a spear tackle which will result in what one can only imagine will be severe punishment.

Still, the first half was by no means a disaster. The pack outplayed Currie in almost every phase, Denford Mutamangira crashed over for a try, Finn Russell converted and added a penalty as did Sylvain Diez. Itt was only as half time approached that Currie came back with a try by Mike Entwhistle with Jamie Forbes slotting the conversion then a penalty six minutes later to take Ayr in with a narrow 13-10 lead.

It was in the second half that the roof fell in. Although Ayr continued to match the pack, the enforced changes both before and during the game took their toll and Gary Temple crossed to give Currie a lead they were not to relinquish.

Centre Simeon James went over with 15 minutes left with Forbes converting as he did with the final ignominy when Ayr conceded a penalty try which earned Currie a bonus point.

That award went a long way towards confirming the Ayr support’s opinion that the exchange referee (from the RFU) was giving very little the way of anyone in pink and black particularly in the way he adopted a laissez faire attitude to Currie’s exploits at the breakdown.

So the unbeaten record is no more and although Ayr remain top of the RBS Premiership table, Gala are still only three points behind with a game in hand since they were on British and Irish Cup duty and scoring a memorable win over London Scottish at Netherdale.

Next up at Millbrae on Saturday are Aberdeen Grammar Rugby who are fresh from clinching their first win of the campaign over Edinburgh Accies at Rubislaw on Saturday.

They will be buzzing, Ayr will have to pick themselves up from what was a match which, with a full complement, they could have expected to win .

It remains to be seen who can return from injury to give the back division less of a patched up appearance than at Currie.