Bruce kicks 2000 Endrick points

Dec 19 2008 by Jean Pedder, Stirling Observer Friday

CLYDEBANK 18

STRATHENDRICK 23

FOR more than 30 years fixtures between Endrick and Clydebank have been contested with vigour.

Saturday's encounter at Whitecrook fully lived up to expectations. We had a heated contest, a noisy crowd (on and off the pitch), yellow cards, good scores and an overworked referee, who must at times have wished he had pursued a more peaceful hobby – like alligator wrestling.

There was also some excellent rugby, a dramatic comeback by Endrick and personal milestones for a couple of their players.

The opening quarter of an hour was the expected slog, with neither side giving an inch, and at that stage it looked like a low-scoring match with the first score vital. That score went to Bankies in 17 minutes, when Endrick were caught offside and scrum-half Ross Moffat kicked the penalty from 28 metres.

It was more of the same after that, with the sides battling it out between the 22s.

In 27 minutes Endrick were dealt a blow when flanker Ewan MacKay got his retaliation in a bit early and Mr Sleeman sent him to the sin-bin for ten minutes’ quiet contemplation. Bankies immediately made their extra man count and within two minutes went further ahead when they drove a maul over in the corner for an unconverted try.

In spite of their one-man disadvantage, Endrick took the game into home territory and Kyle Campbell, Bruce Duncan and Steven Bastock all had promising runs which came to nothing.

Bruce Duncan thought that he had got Endrick off the mark with a well taken drop at goal but the kick was deemed to have gone wide.

Three minutes before the break the Pieman was readmitted to the fray and almost immediately another yellow card was produced when a Bankies forward overstretched the referee's patience.

Clydebank started off the second half determined to show that their one-man deficit would not bother them. Inside two minutes centre David Bell carved his way through the Endrick ranks for a second try and Ross Moffat added the extras for a 15-0 lead.

Kyle Campbell pulled three points back immediately with a 28 metre penalty. That kick put him past the 100-point mark for the season.

In 47 minutes a 40 metre dash by Scott McCabe took him behind the posts for the Fintry side's first try, Kyle Campbell converting.

With their lead now only five points, Bankies stepped up the pressure to preserve their place at the top of the league table and Endrick were pinned back within touching distance of their own line.

Somehow they held out and as the game went into its last quarter the home side were still only 15-10 ahead. A penalty to touch on the halfway line not only gave Endrick a breather but it also gave them a position to launch a counter and when the ball came to Scott McCabe he produced yet another 40 metre sprint to tie the scores. Kyle Campbell converted to put Endrick in the lead for the first time in the match with 15 minutes remaining.

The lead controversially disappeared two minutes later when Scott McCabe gathered a long kick. He was quickly tackled and almost immediately the whistle went to signal a penalty against him for not releasing. The decision did not please the Endrick numbers but Ross Moffat did not let that stop him from kicking the goal and Bankies had retaken the lead, albeit by a single point.

The initiative had now passed to Endrick and six minutes from time a penalty to touch again provided the platform. A good take was moved infield and when it reached Bruce Duncan he had all the time he needed to drop a peach of a goal from 28 metres to put Endrick two points in front.

The home crowd were for once silent as they sensed the match was lost.

A jinking run by Steven Bastock in the final minute looked as if it would produce a try to wrap it all up for Endrick until an illegal challenge inside the Bankies' 22 stopped his progress. After the necessary repairs had been effected Endrick opted to kick the penalty to touch rather than have a go at goal.

The decision was immediately vindicated when the ball was delivered to Bruce Duncan, who again brought his left foot into action to land another drop goal. This one had special significance for it not only sealed a great win for Endrick but it also took Bruce Duncan's personal points tally for the club to 2002 from 353 games.

This result drops Clydebank into second place and is only their second defeat of the season. Despite the win, Endrick drop back into 6th place behind Wigtownshire, who managed a win last week while Endrick were frost-bound and won again on Saturday with a try bonus point.

ENDRICK: S McCabe (capt); K Campbell, S Bastock, R Mair, D Porteous; B Duncan, P Ainsworth; D Spence, S Forsyth, T McNeill, S Cuthbertson, J McLaughlin, E MacKay, M Braceland and S O'Brien, repl. A Christie, D McDonald and D McGuffie.

On Saturday Endrick travel to Glasgow for a third-round cup tie with Glasgow Accies, who are two divisions higher than Endrick. The prize for the winners is a home tie in round four against Selkirk.