On Saturday Garnock travelled to face Perthshire to continue their National 4 campaign. The home side were fighting for points to try and escape the relegation zone so the lads knew this was likely to be a tough match.
The game was played in pleasant if a little cool conditions and underfoot the pitch was a decent surface to play on. Garnock started the match strongly through their hard running forwards however the home defence was solid and they began to threaten when they had possession. The first score of the match went to the home side who were awarded a scrum in the Garnock 22. Weak defence from the visitors allowed the Perthshire centre to canter over untouched. Conversion successful 7-0
This reverse seemed to galvanise the lethargic Garnock side and from a lineout in the home 22 scrum half Keir Walker spotted a gap and sniped through to score. Conversion good 7-7
Both teams tried to attack when in possession however strong defences or poor handling resulted in a scoreless period. With Perthshire in the Garnock half the ball was jackled at the breakdown by Stuart Wilson and a smart chip was collected by Jared Reekie who was tackled 10m from the line. He smartly offloaded to Rory Dominy to canter over. Conversion good 7-14
From the restart the ball was taken by Garnock No8 Ross Brocket who thundered through the Perthshire defence before being stopped on the 22. Quick recycling and smart hands by the backs allowed Jared Reekie to score. Conversion good 7-21
With only minutes remaining Pertshire scored the best try of the half. A poor kick chase by the visitors allowed the home side to attack from well inside their own half and excellent handling resulted in a fine try. Conversion good 14-21
The half-time words from Garnock’s coaches were all about cutting out the daft errors and remaining disciplined. However straight from the kick-off Garnock failed to collect the ball cleanly giving Perthshire possession on the 22. From the resultant ruck the home hooker spotted a gap close to the ruck and broke through to score. Conversion successful. 21-21 and game on.
The home side were encouraged by the score and felt they could take the points from a rattled Garnock. In seasons gone by the visitors may have capitulated however this Garnock team has more determination and self belief.
The next score went to the visitors when a midfield penalty was kicked to touch inside the home 22. The catch and drive followed reaching the home line when Matt Shiells touched down. Conversion good 21-28
At this stage it appears Garnock upped the tempo of their play and a midfield break by Rory Dominy took play to 5m from the Perthshire line. A couple of quick rucks and Keir Walker sniped through for his second of the day. Conv successful 21-35.
The next score again went to the visitors . From a lineout on the home 22 the ball was given to the backs and strong running was stopped short of the line. Flanker Stuart Wison picked up at the ruck and forced his way over. Conv good 21-42
By this stage Perthshire were losing confidence and Garnock were dominating . Following a significant number of phases Garnock worked their way into the 22 and with Perthshire tiring Stuart Wilson again dotted down. Conversion good 21-49.
To their credit Perthshire continued to work hard and with their chance of victory gone they were determined to take something from the match with a four try bonus point. With possession on the visitors 22 poor defence around the ruck allowed the home 9 to break free and score. Conversion 28-49
With the game drawing to a close Garnock scored their best try of the game. From a lineout on the home 10m line the Garnock backs produced a clever move which released Jared Reekie to power through the midfield to score between the posts. Conv good 28-56
There was no further scoring in the remaining 2 minutes and the match closed with Garnock taking all five points. The scoreline probably flattered the visitors and Perthshire certainly deserved something from the game.
It was acknowledged by the Garnock squad that their performance was not at the level it should have been however we take the 5 points and move on to the next game against North Berwick at Lochshore
Garnock squad Shiells, O’Neill, Chapman, Watson, Miller, Wilson, Ramsay-Millar, Brocket, K Walker, McCrorie, Wynn, Dominy, Reekie, Woods, Jacobson Reps Craig, McDermott, R Walker, Anderson
