Stewartry RFC put on muddy good show to defeat Lenzie at Greenlaw

Stewartry saw off Lenzie at a muddy Greenlaw on Saturday.

Ahead of a home game in the semi-final of the National Shield, the game was switched to pitch two to continue the league fixture momentum.

The heavy rain started as the referee blew the whistle and the already muddy pitch was about to get a whole lot worse.

Lenzie kicked off and soon were pressuring the Stewartry 22 as both teams tried to master the wet conditions. Stewartry worked up over the halfway and on only eight minutes Hugh Carson charged his way through a number of tackles to open the scoring between the posts. Captain John Picken stepped up to add the points.

Minutes later the heavy rain continued, mixed with hailstones, as both teams got on with the game. An injury to Forsyth saw him replaced by Yates on the wing.

(Jim McEwan)

Lenzie continued to press in the Stewartry 22 which was well defended before clearing with a penalty kick to
touch.

Moffat and Yates were soon charging down to the Lenzie 22 before an Armstrong tackle stopped a Lenzie scoring chance.

A number of knock-ons by the Lenzie players gave Stewartry a number of scrum advantages.

Stewartry came more into the game as the interval approached with Ben Spence making a 25 metre break backed up by Picken and Mick McCulloch and Carson was stopped just short of the line.

Picken gained the advantage of the loose ball and scored the second try, before converting.

(Jim McEwan)

That gave Stewartry a 14-point lead after rearguard action for most of the first half as Lenzie battled hard throughout.

Stewartry restarted with a long kick-off deep into the Lenzie 22, the heavy rain continuing to fall and causing a number of knock-ons from cold wet hands with play becoming a bit of a lottery.

Stewartry battled hard to keep their line secure with some hard tackling with Yates, Sanderson and M McCulloch doing well in the loose and S McCulloch featuring well in the lineout possession.

With the referee looking at his watch for the final whistle, a rainbow appeared in the sky supporting the Lenzie colours – well, the colours from the start of the game, with both teams now a muddy brown.

A good crowd of supporters stayed to the end to clap both teams off as they headed for a deserved hot shower. Stewartry kept second place in the league but failed to take a bonus point to help them pick up the second place for promotion ahead of Cumnock, where they go in their last league
game.

Stewartry squad: M McCulloch, K McGuire, A Mathais, R Porteous, J Forsyth, B Spence, S McCulloch, H Carson, J Picken (c), D Armstrong, S Milligan, R Sanderson, R Austin, F Forsyth, A Moffat, F Barne, T McLean, F Gibson,
M Yates.