Last Saturday
the Blairgowrie RFC senior squad travelled to Broughty Ferry for
a league match against Panmure RFC looking to maintain their unbeaten
league record this season having already beaten them at home earlier
this season.
With the League
trophy already in the Blairgowrie trophy cabinet this gave Blairgowrie
the opportunity to give a number of fringe players a start with
a number of first team regulars sitting on the subs bench. On
what can only be described as a wet miserable afternoon Blairgowrie
went into an early attack and were awarded a penalty in the first
minute of the match which Stephen Souter unfortunately missed.
From early
on in the match Panmure looked the hungrier team pinning the visitors
back in their own half with only a try saving tackle by Michael
Black preventing the home side from scoring an early try. This
pressure eventually paid off for home side when they secured a
lineout ball near the Blairgowrie line which they then drove over
for a converted try. At this point it was clear that the Panmure
team were adjusting much better to the wet conditions and were
unlucky not to add more points in the first half with Blairgowrie
squandering a second penalty kick midway through the second half.
With minutes of the first half remaining Robert Larsen secured
a loose ball on the half way line and after rounding his opposite
number released the ball to Fraser Bissett who ran the in to score
a try in the corner to make the half time score Panmure 7 Blairgowrie
5.
From the restart and with the wind behind them Panmure went into
an early attack putting the ball into the corner. From the ensuing
lineout Panmure secured the ball after the referee had missed
a blatant knock-on to drive over to extend their lead. Blairgowrie
at this point made a number of changes but despite this it was
the home side who extended their lead after winning another lineout
in the corner for the Panmure wing forward to run straight through
the Blairgowrie line unopposed.
Blairgowrie responded with one of their few breaks of the day
after Andrew Cowan had superbly fielded a high ball only for the
Blairgowrie winger to knock-on thus missing yet another scoring
opportunity. With approximately 10 minutes of the match remaining
Blairgowrie scrum half Gavin Wynd eventually managed to breach
the home defence with a mazy run evading at least four tackles
to score under the posts converted by Stephen Souter. With time
running out for Blairgowrie the Panmure stand off who had kicked
well all day sent a long ball into the Blairgowrie half which
the Blairgowrie full back failed to clear thus allowing Panmure
to score fourth try of the day to make the final score Panmure
27 Blairgowrie 12.
While credit must go to Panmure for a deserved win this was undoubtedly
Blairgowrie's poorest display of the season with too many of the
forwards failing to do the basics at rucks , mauls and lineouts
and with two league games remaining it is imperative that everyone
gets down to training to ensure that this was a one off and that
they can get back to winning ways against Harris FP's in Dundee
this coming Saturday. Man of the match points were awarded to
Gavin Wynd - 3 points, Ewan Ireland- 2 points and Andrew Cowan
- 1 point.
Team: James Buchanan, Alan Guild, Robert Larsen, Ross Parsons,
Ewan Constable, Jake Cockburn, Alan Clarke, Ewen Morrison, Mickey
Todd, Ryand Walker, Duncan Campbell, Timmy Watson, Kev Brown,
Gavin Wynd, Ewan Ireland, Fraser Bissett, Andrew Cowan, Michael
Black, James Larsen, Stephen Souter, Stewart Charnock.
See pictures
here...
