FINE WIN FOR ACCIES

Published 23 Sep 2009 13:00

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Scottish Hydro-Electric Premiership Division Three: ARDROSSAN ACCIES 22 HILLHEAD/JORDANHILL 17

HAVING won the "toss" Hillhead/Jordanhill started the match in pleasant early Autumn sunshine in front of a sizeable crowd which included former SRU president and former IRB member Allan Hosie.

From the kick-off, Hillhead /Jordanhill were penalised for being offside and Ardrossan stand-off Alan Wilson took play into his opposition's 22 with a fine kick. Ardrossan then exerted a period of sustained pressure in the Hillhead /Jordanhill half which eventually led to an Ardrossan penalty in the 10th minute which was successfully kicked by Allan Wilson to give Ardrossan a three-point lead.

It wasn't until a quarter of an hour had passed before Hillhead/Jordanhill managed to get into the Ardrossan half and their backs showed why they are currently top of the league with some fine handling moves as they attempted to breach the Ardrossan defence. The Ardrossan team were defending well with a series of excellent tackles particularly from their backrow of Jeffrey Anderson, Darren Kean and Rodney Vollaire.

For the spectators this was becoming a good game of rugby with both sides keeping the ball moving at every opportunity, the scrummage was hotly contested but Ardrossan were beginning to have the advantage at the set piece with team captain Kenny Blair and veteran second row Dougie Tyler always to the fore.

On the half hour mark Ardrossan were rewarded with a good try from a "turn-over" ball, scrum half Mathew Grant broke the gain line to feed winger Robin Hunter whose pace took him well into the oppositions 22 before passing to centre Stuart Carson to score under the posts, Wilson converted to put Ardrossan 10 points in the lead. The first period was brought to a close by both sides missing penalty opportunities.

Ardrossan re-started the game and were immediately awarded a penalty but the normally reliable Wilson again missed a kick and the opportunity to increase Ardrossan's lead. In the 47th minute good interplay between Hillhead/Jordanhill forwards and backs finished by burly prop Longwell going in at the posts which was easily converted by full back Twaddie to cut Ardrossan's lead to three points.

Five minutes after scoring his try, prop forward Longwell was yellow carded for deliberately collapsing the scrum and temporarily reducing Hillhead/Jordanhill to 14 players for 10 minutes.

Ardrossan now created continuous pressure on the oppositions line but good defending by Hillhead denied them further points

It wasn't until Hillhead /Jordanhill returned to 15 players that they managed to enter the Ardrossan half when a fumbled pass by an Ardrossan player allowed Hillhead's winger Jubb to intercept and run in from 30 meters to score which full back Twaddie converted, giving Hillhead/Jordanhill a four-point lead for the first time in the match.

Ardrossan were now encamped in the Hillhead/Jordanhill half but were still unable to turn pressure into points.

Hillhead/Jordanhill's forwards responded with a good driving maul into the Ardrossan half which resulted in a penalty award which Twaddie successfully kicked to stretch his side lead to seven points. Ardrossan were still attacking and in the 70th minute and were awarded a try when Robin Hunter was put in at the corner by a pass from centre Stuart Carson, unfortunately the conversion was missed to level the score.

In the 75th minute Hillhead/Jordanhill prop forward Longwell was dismissed for foul play when he denied Ardrossan centre Stuart Carson from scoring, by using an illegal tackle which left Carson dazed and the Ardrossan support wondering why a penalty try had not been awarded.

In the 78th minute Ardrossan's pressure was eventually rewarded when player/coach Rodney Vollaire crossed the Hillhead/Jordanhill line for a try which Allan Wilson converted to put Ardrossan back in the lead by five points .

At the final whistle, Ardrossan Team Manager David Fraser was pleased with the result and said: "It was a very good game of rugby and he believed Ardrossan deserved their win.

The team have been improving every match, team spirit is good and the numbers at training have been excellent since the appointment of rugby coach Rodney Voullaire and conditioning coach John Welsh.

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