County pipped by Borderers

Nov 19 2008 by Alan Rennie, Stirling Observer Wednesday

FOR the injured Graham Calder and Colin Eadie, Stir-ing gave a start to Gordon McRorie and Chris Faill while Stevie Wilson was the replacement for Gregor Hamilton in the centre.

Selkirk made the first chance, regaining possession from a box kick and then moving it wide but were guilty of cutting inside when an overlap beckoned on the right.

Fullback Harkness showed how dangerous he could be, fielding in his own half and beating several Stirling players to get to the halfway line. Selkirk lost possession and Robbie McGowan made the break to take play into the Selkirk half.

From good possession, Ross Aitken made a lot of ground down his wing before cutting in and feeding the supporting Chris Faill who ran in under the posts. Brian Archibald’s conversion gave Stirling a seven-point lead.

Stirling increased their lead on the ten minute mark with a well worked try. Good hands from Gordon McRorie, Robbie McGowan and Graham Lindsay got the ball to Craig Deacons who tore down the wing before passing back inside for Graham Lindsay to finish off the move in the corner. The conversion attempt dropped just under the bar.

Stirling did not do themselves any favours by getting in front at a drop out giving Selkirk an attacking scrum and only some excellent defensive work by Ross Aitken and Chris Faill stopped the visitors from scoring in the corner.

Squirted

With an extra man due to Hunter being sin-binned for a high tackle, Selkirk kept Stirling in their own 22. When the ball squirted out of a Stirling scrum, Selkirk moved the ball wide left for centre Craig to score in the corner.

Shortly after Selkirk used their extra forward to push the County scrum to within five metres of the line before releasing centre Jones to get his second score. The successful conversion made the score 12-10 after 20 minutes.

A pick-up from his bootlaces and break by Chris Faill took play to under the Selkirk posts where the ball was killed.

Stirling’s quick tap and go was stopped but Selkirk had not retreated giving a penalty chance which Archibald kicked to increase the lead to 15-10.

On the half hour mark, Stirling were putting together several phases but lost the ball and when Selkirk moved the ball right and chipped through. Any one of three players could have collected and scored, so bare was the Stirling defence.

The conversion by Rutherford put Selkirk in the lead for the first time at 15-17.

However, within three minutes, Stirling had regained the lead. Following a line-out the stand side touch judge intervened to indicate a yellow card for Selkirk’s second rower, Gauché, for foul play and a penalty for Stirling which Brian Archibald put between the posts.

Just as Selkirk had used the one man advantage so did County and, with three minutes to half time, scored their third try, Kevin Bryce feeding Deacons who used his strength and pace to drive over in the corner. The conversion hit the post and bounced out.

Right on half time, Selkirk landed a penalty to bring the scores to 23-20.

The second started with Selkirk showing how to use the new law which keeps the backs five metres back from the scrum.

Getting really quick ball from the scrum, the number eight picked up and fed his looping scrum half, whose long pass gave his centre plenty of time to kick to five metres of the Stirling line.

Wheeled

Although Stirling won the line out and the put in at the next scrum they were wheeled giving the advantage back to Selkirk. When Stirling did not roll away from the tackle, Rutherford made no mistake with the penalty.

Having equalised, Selkirk went ahead almost immediately when a Selkirk chip through and a bounce was gratefully taken by Craig to get his hattrick and a try bonus for his team. Rutherford’s conversion made the score 23-30.

An Archibald penalty 15 minutes into the half brought the gap to four points.

Jason Hill found a gap in the Selkirk defence and a grubber kick by the supporting backs forced Selkirk to kick into touch five metres from their line. Winning the lineout the forwards mauled their way over but were held up. Selkirk were penalised at the resulting scrum and Brian’s penalty brought the score to 29-30 with four minutes of normal time left.

Paul Wilson set Stevie Wilson on a line-breaking run but the centre slipped. As the minutes raced away, Selkirk were penalised for collapsing a scrum, leaving Brian a long kick from the touchline to win the match.

Slipped

Shouts from the stand side suggested it was successful but it just slipped by the post. Regaining possession from the 22 drop out McGowan had another unsuccessful long range drop goal attempt.

Stirling did regain possession again but a chip ahead allowed Selkirk to get the ball and clear into touch for the narrowest of wins.

Gordon McRorie (one vote) and Chris Faill (two) showed up well but with four votes the John Graham (Metals) Man of the Match was Paul Wilson.

Stirling County – Allan Robertson; G Lindsay, S Wilson, B Archibald and R Aitken; R McGowan and G McRorie; M Hunter, A Moffat, W Davies, P Wilson, G Gilchrist, C Faill, K Bryce and C Deacons Replacements – G Cameron, J Hill, A Simpson, D Lyle and G Hamilton.

Selkirk – Harkness; S Hendrie, R Nixon, L Jones, G Craig; M Rutherford and M McVie; G Patterson, S Forrest, R Taylor, R Aglen, N Darling, E Gauché, C Johnston and S Tomlinson. Replacements – M Murray, A McDowall, R Crockatt.

Referee – Ted Coutts.

This Sunday, Stirling are away to Watsonian FC with a 2.30pm kick-off. See Friday’s edition for the team news.