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If you
were looking for a hat-trick hero in today’s game, your eye
may have naturally fallen towards Charlie Keenan, or given
his scoring form this season perhaps Angus Martyn. Amongst
the least likely candidates would have been Cam Ward, but it
was the Kiwi prop who, midway through the second half,
touched down for his third score of the game.
In
truth, Ward’s exploits were one of the few highlights of a
poor game which saw both sides make far too many mistakes.
Leading 21-7 at the break, Boroughmuir should have gone on
to kill the match in the second half but instead they caused
themselves countless problems, turning the ball over in
phase after phase and giving GHA a foothold back into the
match.
The
first forty minutes had been better from the Boroughmuir
point of view, though even then they conceded the first try
following a careless turnover. ’Muir had begun the better
side and were looking to capitalise on their pressure and
James White came close to opening the scoring but was hauled
down just metres short of the line.
As
’Muir were looking to work themselves another opening, Ben
Fisher received something of a hospital pass on the left
wing and the ball was knocked loose in the tackle. Full back
Chris McKay chipped ahead for Rory Watson to chase and the
winger beat Greg Cottrell in the footrace and touched down
under the posts. Fly-half Jim Noonan added the simple
conversion.
Much
was made in the early season of the expectation that
Boroughmuir would fall away and be unable to compete when
the ground got heavy and conditions played into the hands of
teams with strong forward packs. If that hadn’t been made
enough of a mockery before today, ’Muir set about forcing
their way back into the game via the might of their
impressive forwards.
After a few drives by the home eight had given fair warning,
Boroughmuir won a lineout fifteen metres from the GHA line.
Fergus Pringle took clean ball from Sean Crombie’s throw and
the pack closed in around him. With Ben Fisher and Graeme
McCallum guiding, the drive made it to just short of the
line, but as it was in danger of being halted, winger Rob
Cairns charged in, adding the extra momentum needed for Ward
to be able to touch down for the score. Elgan O’Donnell
converted to tie the scores.
It
wasn’t long before ’Muir got themselves into a lead, and it
was a try more typical of their season. Great work by the
forwards turned over GHA’s rolling maul and Martyn broke
quickly. He found Ward in support and even though he had
Cottrell, Crombie, Fisher and Keenan outside him and despite
some frenzied shouts from the sidelines to pass early, Cam
drew in the only defender – winger Rory McClymont – before
slipping the ball to Cottrell who raced in under the posts.
O’Donnell again added the extras.
The
momentum was now very much with the home side and with
twenty-seven minutes on the clock, Ward bagged his second
score of the match. In a manner similar to his first,
Boroughmuir won a lineout on the GHA twenty-two, Pringle
took clean ball and a monstrous drive from the forwards
powered them all the way to the line, Ward in possession of
the ball when they got there, and diving in for the score.
O’Donnell’s kicking was in good order in the first half and
he kept it up with his third conversion from left of the
posts.
There was a distinct feeling after Ward’s touchdown that the
game was there for ’Muir to run away with, but as the error
count climbed in the second half, their Glasgow opponents
took advantage to worm their way back into contention.
GHA
had come out firing for the second half and worked their way
into Boroughmuir’s twenty-two just five minutes after the
re-start. With the hosts in control of the ball, however,
and with plenty opportunities to clear their lines, they
should never have found themselves in a position where
O’Donnell’s kick for touch was charged down by McKay, the
full back picking up and diving over for the score. Scrum
half Jono Wright had taken over the kicking duties with
Noonan replaced at half time and he duly cut ’Muir’s gap to
seven.
It
was then the turn of Ward to grab his moment of glory. After
McKay’s touch down, ’Muir had renewed their attacking
efforts, flankers Martyn and Brown making good ground down
the right wing. Stopped just short of the line, Ward
positioned himself at the back of the ruck and powered his
way over the line for his hat-trick score. O’Donnell
couldn’t add the conversion from wide on the right.
Again ’Muir had found themselves a platform from which they
should have built a good lead, but again they were the
architects of their own downfall. Passes were being thrown
wildly when the ball should have been kept tight, but all
too often when an opportunity to spread the ball did come
along, players went on solo runs that ended with them
turning the ball over.
With
GHA fighting for their Premier One life they were always
going to make the most of Boroughmuir’s mistakes, and after
a long period of pressure they finally snuck over the line
through scrum half Wright. Fergus Pringle had been sent to
the sin bin for persistent offending and the visitors
pounced on their numerical superiority, inching the ball up
the field through their forwards. It eventually came left,
and just as ’Muir looked to have dealt with the danger
having seen off countless forward drives, Wright nipped
between two tacklers and over for the score. He couldn’t
convert the try, however, and GHA remained seven points
adrift.
Both
sides had chances to bag further scores in the remaining
minutes, but in all honesty neither side looked to have the
composure to make it over the line again. With Boroughmuir
pressing in the GHA twenty-two, the relegation battlers were
only too happy to clear the ball into touch and claim their
losing bonus point.
It
wasn’t a pretty win and there is much to work on before next
week’s difficult trip to the Greenyards to face Melrose in
the Cup, but it was another five points towards
Boroughmuir’s domination of the league season and Cam Ward
for one won’t be letting his team mates forget it in a
hurry.
Boroughmuir: Stephen Ruddick;
Charlie Keenan, James White, Elgan O'Donnell, Rob Cairns;
Greg Cottrell, Calum Cusiter; Freddie Lait, Sean Crombie,
Cam Ward; Fergus Pringle, Graeme McCallum; Olly Brown, Ben
Fisher,
Angus Martyn. Subs Used Conor Costigan, Andy McLean.
Euan Matheson, Stuart Waddell - Not Used: Stuart McGee |
