Blair Secure First Point of the Season
Saturday 27 Sep 08, Blairgowrie played hosts to Kinross RFC while looking to secure their first league points of the season. With the playing surface at the J J Coupar Park in immaculate condition thanks to our hard working groundsmen it was the home side who went into an early lead with a well taken penalty by Stephen Souter. Kinross quickly equalised with a penalty but Stephen Souter put the home side back into the lead with a superb penalty kick from near the half way line. With Kinross having possession of the ball for long periods it was Blairgowrie who extended their lead with Duncan Campbell intercepting a Kinross pass to run from the centre of the pitch to score under the posts successfully converted by Stephen Souter. With minutes of the first half remaining the referee failed to give the home side advantage after an offence by the Kinross forwards which allowed the visitors to score a converted try to make the half time score Blairgowrie 13 Kinross 10.
From the restart it was the visitors who took the early initiative pinning the home side back in their own half for practically most of the second half but some great defensive tackles particularly by young Michael Black prevented Kinross from scoring. With less than 10 minutes of the match remaining Blairgowrie opted to run a penalty from under their own posts only to lose possession and allow the visiting side to steal the ball and score in the corner to give them a 2 point lead with 5 minutes of the match remaining. To their credit Blairgowrie responded positively and went straight into attack winning a penalty deep in the Kinross half. Unfortunately Blairgowrie failed to convert the kick but some quick thinking by Peter Duncan allowed him to secure the ball and drive for the Kinross try line. Unfortunately the Kinross defenders prevented Peter from grounding the ball with the referee blowing the final whistle to make the final score Blairgowrie 13 Kinross 15.
Although Kinross had the majority of the possession throughout the game this is a game that Blairgowrie could have won but instead had to settle for a losing bonus point to lift them off the foot of the table. Man of the Match points were awarded to Michael Black - 1 point, Ewan Constable - 2 points and Ryan Walker - 3 points and Man of the Match.
Team: Euan Constable, Ricky Williams, Al Guild, Ewan Morrison (capt), Kev Brown, Ryan walker, Neil MacRae, Mick Bowen, Fraser Bissett, Ally Walker, Peter Duncan, Duncan Campbell, Michael Black, Michael Grant, Stephen Souter, Robert Larsen, Alan Clarke, James Buchanan.
This Saturday (4th) the senior squad travel to Glenrothes and with some players unavailable for selection it will be another stiff test for the Blairgowrie squad.
Friday 26 Sep was ‘Ladies Night’ at the clubhouse with a number of first team players entertaining a full house of ladies on what proved to be a most successful evening. The committee would like to thank Duncan Campbell, Stephen Souter and their ’team’ for organising the event and also to all those who kindly donated prizes for the raffle including The Royal Hotel, The Dreadnought Inn, Number 31, Something Special, Vitality, Set & Style and Butterflies of Blairgowrie.