Cumnock Rally to Victory

The early signs were not good and it seemed as though there was an element of De Ja Vu with only 13 players making the trip to Dalziel Park. Earlier in the season another poor turnout had cost Cumnock the game however with 13 players on-board the team bus headed north for what was going to be a counting league fixture..
It was clear during the warmup that the team looked a bit flat and the coaches tried the very best to lift the team. It was no surprise that the hosts then managed to put a converted score on the board within a minute of KO. This set the tone for the next 10 minutes where Cumnock kicked off, Dalziel fielded the ball and then Cumnock stepped out of the way allowing their opponents to score under the posts. As the clock run on to 14 minutes the ‘Nock side were chasing a score of 35-0. At last Cumnock managed to get their hands on the ball and it was a typical barrelling run from Ruairidh Airlie that put the visitors on the scoreboard. From the resulting KO Cumnock worked the ball into a wide area where it was Airlie again who stepped back inside to crash under the posts for another converted score. The effect of this try on the Cumnock side was remarkable with attitudes now turning, heads being lifted and a belief that this game was on again. The pattern of play continued with Cumnock now completely controlling the game and seemingly being able to score at will. By the time the whistle blew for the end of the first half and the numbers were counted it was now Cumnock that led by 35-47.

The Cumnock side now had their tails ups and with the Coached words ringing in their ears about setting up a solid defence the teams restarted. Cumnock hade really pulled up their socks in terms of their defensive duties with Dalziel possession being limited by the pressure being brought to bear. Cumnock pressed and chased everything and is was no surprise when Cumnock crossed the line for the opening score of the 2nd half. Dalziel now seemed to have an impossible task however they managed to secure some ball in midfield and eventually managed to get their sizeable forwards onto the ball were they rolled up the pitch with phase after phase and despite some really solid defensive work by Cumnock eventually pulled a converted score back. The Nock side were not about to make the same mistake as their hosts and set about ensuring that they were not about to relinquish the lead they had built. Form this point onwards kit was one way traffic as the team from East Ayrshire dominated all areas of the game. Now, with a solid defence and a viscious counter attack the Lanarkshire team were reeling and the scores started to pile in from the visitors. As the final whistle blew it was a demolition job and Cumnock had pulled out a 42:82 victory.

Thomas Bowditch commented “We know that there is a host of talent in this team and when the attitudes are focused, tremendous performances can be achieved. Giving a team a 35 point start will rarely be turned around and hopefully the team have learned a valuable lesson today about the importance of a fast start.” Fellow coach Harry Reilly added “This could have been a completely different story however the team found a spark and built upon it. It is amazing what can be achieved when a team pulls together and starts to work for each other. The team are also starting to play to the game plan that we are working on in training which provides a stability and a confidence which came through in spade loads today … onwards and upwards and we have another road trip next weekend where we head to Livingston before the mid season break.”

Special mentions on the day for Ruairidh Airlie with a 5 try haul, Luke Cameron Cooper with 3 and his twin brother Arun for a brace. In addition team kicker Liam Murray was on fire with 11 conversions from 12.

Team: Lewis Douglas, Arun Cameron-Cooper, Luke Cameron-Cooper, Evan Smith, Jamie Kennedy, Kerr Robson, Keiran Makin, Andrew Rodger, Jay Campbell, Reece Morrison, Liam Murray, Ruairidh, Airlie, Cameron Smith(C)

The U15 side is still keen to recruit players so if you are interested come along to training on Tuesdays and Thursday call 01290 420292 for more information.

Next game for the U15 team is Sunday 9th October away to Livingston with a 1400 KO