Plucky visitors make County toil

Mar 4 2009 by Alan Rennie, Stirling Observer Wednesday

WE’VE seen it all before at Bridgehaugh but, 20 years ago, it used to be underdogs County who would relish giving the big guns a bloody nose.

The tables were turned on Friday under the lights when Premiership Three Ellon threw everything at Stirling, played almost all the good rugby, tackled like demons, yet still managed to lose the tie.

In their defence, County were far from being at full strength.

Call-ups at representative level robbed them of Robbie McGowan, Stevie Wilson, Gordon McRorie, Grant Gilchrist, Jason Hill and Danny Gilmour.

That meant that the late call-offs through injury of three of their most experienced players – Alex Moffat, Colin Eadie and Brian Archibald – took this tie out of the comfort zone for the home side.

Elusive

Having scored four tries for the 2nd XV last Saturday, Allan Robertson deserved his shot at stand-off but there were only odd flashes of his elusive running game on show on Friday.

It was his early break, however, that forced Ellon to concede an early penalty which was knocked over by Jonny Hope, who celebrated his 21st birthday on Saturday night.

When Ellon hooker Michael Coxy was sin-binned in 25 minutes, the writing looked on the wall for the Aberdeenshire side.

Spurred

But Hope’s second penalty miss of the match spurred on the visitors and they equalised with a penalty of their own from stand-off Mark Ryan.

Ryan was then to miss three kickable penalties on the trot and the half ended with Graham Lyndsay getting a yellow card after some indiscipline that was spotted by the touch judge.

The first try of the game came for 14-man County and, not surprisingly, it was a forward, prop Wilba Davies, who was propelled over by his forwards in the 42nd minute.

Stirling brought on Mark Hunter and, for his debut, Australian flanker Ben Fleming.

With Lyndsay restored on the wing, County dominated for a spell and hooker Johnny Graham drew one of the biggest cheers of the night when he was rewarded for his industry with an opportunist try in the corner.

On the hour mark, more indiscipline then saw Craig Deacons sent to the sin-bin and Ellon sniffed that they were still in with a chance of causing an upset.

Pinned

This was reinforced when stand-off Ryan went over for a try which he converted himself in the 72nd minute.

Deacs then came back on and, to their credit, County kept Ellon pinned back in their own half for much of the rest of the game although there was one breakaway when a better-placed pass could have won the tie for the visitors.

Scorers: Stirling - tries - Davies, Graham; conv - Hope; pen - Hope. Ellon - try - Ryan; conv - Ryan; pen - Ryan.

Stirling County – J Hope; G Lyndsay, B Addison, A Auld, R Aitken; A Robertson, G Calder; W Davies, J Graham,, G Mountford, B MacFarlane, C Black, K Bryce, T Clark and C Deacons. Reps – M Hunter, S Hiddleston, B Fleming and D Jackson (all used).

Ellon – N Douglas; D Yuill, S Clark, E Adie, B Mickie; M Ryan, A Baird; N Fraser, M Coxy, L Carter, S Bucknall, S Johnston, R Edwards, G Ryan and E Theron. Reps - E Bissett, C Farquhar, E Galy and R Yuill.

Referee - Fraser Balharry, Arbroath.

Stirling County RFC is grateful to main sponsors Simpson Donald and Ondeo Industrial Solutions.

The Business, Stirling County’s Networking Club, is offering an introductory half-price match-day hospitality package at £15 pp for the Boroughmuir game at Bridgehaugh on March 28. For more details, call Beverley or Nicola on 01786 478866.

Robbie McGowan came on as a 69th minute replacement for the Scotland under-20s and coolly slotted over the two late penalties, the second from long range, that gave his side a 14-10 win over Italy at Dens Park on Friday.

Grant Gilchrist skippered the Scotland under-19s to a crushing 55-13 win over their Italy contemporaries on Sunday. Also in action from the start was his Bridgehaugh team-mate Jason Hill.

County return to league action this Saturday at Selkirk, who have yet to lose a league game at home this season.

The draw for the clubs in the last 16 of the Scottish Cup will be made tomorrow (Thursday).

See Friday’s edition for all the latest Stirling County team news.