Poor show from Loch Lomond Rugby Club

Feb 27 2009 by Laura McLachlan, Lennox Herald (main ed)

LOCH Lomond’s lack of cutting edge saw their Murrayfield dream shattered on Saturday.

The home side collapsed at the Dilly to Dunbar RFC, despite dominating possession and territory for most of the match.

Lack of pace and unable to break down the Dunbar back line, Lomond suffered their biggest blow of the season so far.

Neither side looked like scoring during the opening exchanges but some faint alarm bells rang when Lomond's normally redoubtable defence found itself stretched.

However, it was still a surprise when they were undone by a simple switch move in the centres that allowed the Dunbar full-back to canter home beneath the posts for a try that was easily converted.

Lomond worked hard to find a way back into the match as the second-half began but basic errors still crept in.

Finally their efforts reaped some rewards when Dunbar were penalised for handling on the floor and Nicholson slotted the resulting penalty chance.

But Dunbar’s pressure proved too much for the Lomond defence and they forced into conceding a penalty of their own and Dunbar's young fly-half made no mistake and restored the visitor's seven point advantage.

Lomond didn't let their heads drop but unfortunately minutes later they gave up yet another three point opportunity which Dunbar took advantage of to reduce Lomond’s chances of a fight back.

Another soft penalty allowed Dunbar to extend their lead again and with less than a quarter of the match remaining, Lomond looked dead and buried.

Somehow that final kick focused the minds of the Lomond 15 and they dragged themselves off the canvas for a final charge at the Dunbar line.

After a period of fierce rucking, during which the referee ignored a clear Lomond touchdown, it was Malone who finally made the breakthrough with a burst through the fringes.

Nicholson nailed the conversion to make the score 16-10 and set up a tense finale with just minutes remaining.

Lomond will need to raise their game by a considerable margin if they want to challenge high-flying Clydebank in their next fixture when they travel to Whitecrook next week.

Loch Lomond: A Flynn (c), S Cowie, G Mathieson, D Nicholson, D Lockhart, A Fairman, C Lewsley, M Flynn, E Todd, B Malone, G McDermott, D McGinty, I Norrie, S Dennison, P Sakerski

Subs: B Turner, A McAdam, G Tilley, J Law