Cumnock / Kilmarnock Cougars 21 - Allan Glens 17

The Cougars had to work extremely hard to come out on top in this encounter with league toppers Allan Glens, played in perfect conditions at Kilmarnock Rugby Club. This was a friendly in name only with both teams playing some tremendous rugby at a frantic pace.

Glens started the game well, looking to avenge the defeat inflicted on them by the Cougars back in November. For the first five or six minutes the home team were pinned back in their own 22 and only some staunch tackling kept the visitors out. Little by little though the Cougars worked their way upfield into their opponents half, with the forwards providing a good platform at the line outs and scrums. The backs then showed what they could do with decent ball and the pace of Gregor Aitken saw him burst through two tackles to score in the eleventh minute, with a great kick from Jack Reilly adding those all important two points.

The game settled after that with the Cougars having the lions share of the possession and in the seventeenth minute Gregor Paxton finished off another quick move and Reilly again stepped up to add the extras. Not to be outdone the pacy Glens winger scored two tries in a short interval to take the score to 14-10 at the break.

In the second period the home team took control of the game and enjoyed the majority of the possession and territory but some fierce tackling from Glens kept them from scoring. In one bizarre moment Glens did break out of their 22 and a lucky bounce of the ball saw their winger touch down under the posts with the successful conversion taking the visitors into a 17-14 lead. The forwards were securing good possession at all set-pieces and the Cougars had a number of opportunities to score again. It wasn't until the fifty sixth minute that Robbie McLaren was driven over the line by the rest of his pack that the win was secured, with Reilly again successfully converting. The home team kept up the pressure until the final whistle and perhaps should have scored again.

This win keeps up the 100% record of the team in 2013 but the players had to really work hard against a team that were intent on winning this game. The whole team played well and the substitutes made a significant contribution to the outcome showing the strength in depth of the team, which will be required in the remaining three games of the season. Next week the Cougars are up against Dalziel RFC with a 2pm kick off at Kilmarnock.

Team: McEwan, R McLaren, Hunter, A McLaren, N Kerr, B Smith, Bark, Harkiss, A Kerr, Reilly, Wight, Paxton, Aitken, Stewart, Bowditch. Subs: Miller, Lorimer, Robson, D Smith, Forbes, Elliott.