Borderers look doomed

0 Comments | Sunday Herald, The, Dec 5, 2004 | by Jack Nixon at Rubislaw

Aberdeen GS FP 16

Tries - Teague, Prescott Penalties - McLean 2

Ayr 14

Tries - Lavelle 2 Conversions - Nonnan 2

ABERDEEN GRAMMAR eased past Ayr in a tense encounter that kept referee Mike Hall on his toes for the entire 80 minutes in the gloom. Hall was arguably the most active person on the pitch as he manfully struggled to come to terms with the misdemeanours of players who should know better.

The game also produced four tries but was typified by its stop start nature, preventing any consistency.

Grammar were narrow but deserved winners, but it took them until the 67th minute to forge ahead. Even then they had to survive a last gasp penalty opportunity from Ayr stand-off James Noonan that was pushed wide.

The visitors got off to a flying start scoring through fullback Nick Lavelle in six minutes after Noonan had left the home defence for dead.

Lavelle was to enjoy mixed fortunes in the opening half adding another try in 37 minutes before being sin-binned for having his hands in a ruck.

Noonan converted both.

Grammar pushed back in to the game and were rewarded when Dan Tague went over after incessant home pressure for an unconverted try. Standoff Mark McLane eased the home side into an 8-7 lead in 34 minutes before Lavelle snatched the advantage back.

The second half was oneway traffic but a stuffy Ayr defence stuck to their task denying Grammar the chance to overturn the deficit. Eventually McLane kicked another penalty before Prescott took the game beyond Ayr.

While it was not a classic by any means, it was an absorbing match with the home crowd left on tenterhooks until the referee Hall's final whistle.

Aberdeen GS FP: R Seib, F Rankine (R Wilson 21), M Ozich, L McCann, B Campbell, S Arnold, M McLane, D Massey, T Dennen, B Prescott, A Pulman, J McKenzie, R Currie, D Tague.

Replacements: R Wilson, I Stanger, S Corsar, M Stanning Ayr: N Lavelle, S Manning, K Brunning, S Magoriam, O Scott, J Noonan, M Goldie, S Fenwick, L Brunning, G Sykes, S Lines, D Kelly, S Heaton, P Burke, G Tippet. Replacements: E Logan, J McCaul, O Scott.

Referee: M Hall (Boroughmuir).