Helensburgh Rugby Club are almost home and dry

Apr 17 2009 by Andy Galloway, Lennox Herald (main ed)

HELENSBURGH’S third win in a row virtually guarantees their place in the national third division next season.

This was another exciting and gritty performance from the young side and coach Liam McIntyre was extremely pleased with the team’s overall performance against more experienced and much bigger opponents.

Chris Black slotted an early penalty to steady the nerves, and then ran in a try, although he was injured in the act of touching down.

That saw Riding to take over the kicking duties, and he duly converted to give the Greens a 10-0 lead.

Better was to come for the home side as scrum half Walker stole away from Strathmore’s back row cover at a line out and wove his way past several bewildered opponents in a brilliant 30-metre solo effort for the second try. Black missed the conversion but his team was well in command.

Following a Strathmore penalty, the referee sin-binned Duncan Watt and Burgh faced the last ten minutes of the first half a man short.

But they extended their lead to 18-0 after Strathmore too had a player sin-binned and Black scored a penalty.

The second half began badly, with half time replacement Joe Sterry immediately red carded for alleged foul play at a scrummage.

As the clock ran down the Greens line held firm, and another successful penalty by Black took the score to 21-0.

In the dying seconds of what had not been a dirty match by any standards Strathmore had a player red carded for verbal abuse of the referee.

The young home side showed tremendous resilience in closing this game out and their composure and team spirit augur well for the future.

Hart Insurance Man of the Match – Phil Rogers.

Burgh: A Rogers, D Campbell, P Rogers ,A Cairns, D Riding (capt), C Black, S Walker, O McInroy, J Feltham, A Drake, C Brown, D Calderwood, R Gibson, D Watt, B Sommerville.

Subs: A Inglis, J Sterry, S Holmes.

Burgh’s final match is at home against league champions Lasswade on Saturday, April 25, but before then the league position should be resolved with Strathmore and Gordonians facing each other next Saturday.