Back
Saturday's 1st XV Match Report
Christopher Mclellan15 Oct 2017 - 19:52
Irvine 24 – East Kilbride 22
Travelling down the M77 to play Irvine, a team that had played and lost all 5 of their previous league encounters this season, East Kilbride had reason to believe that victory should be theirs. Irvine, however, had different ideas and as the final scoreline shows it was they who were celebrating when the final whistle blew.
The match started badly for EK when, with under ten minutes played, Irvine’s no. 12 broke through the EK defence to score under the posts. The conversion made the score 7-0 to the home side. First thoughts on the part of EK players and supporters were that this was a blip and before long their team’s superiority would come to the fore. This hope was boosted when, after 15 minutes, Roddy Beaton went over for a try in the right hand corner. The conversion slipped wide but all in old gold and black expected more. These hopes, however, were dashed when after 20 minutes the home team scored a second try, a classic pick and go from a maul in the left corner. With half time beckoning EK came back into the game when Mark Ellison went over on the right hand side of the field and Calum Blackwood converted to make the half-time score 12-12.
Hopes of an improved performance in the second half were high and these hopes were boosted when, first of all, Ethan Aitken slotted a penalty after 10 minutes to put EK in front for the first time. Surely they would build on this! They did when Calum Simpson intercepted in his own half and ran in a try under the Irvine posts. Ethan Aitken converted to give EK a ten point lead with 25 minutes of the match remaining. Irvine upped their game and launched further attacks on the EK line. Their attacking play was rewarded with a converted try 20 minutes into the half and another, unconverted this time, but sufficient to give them a two point lead with only 4 minutes still on the clock. EK came back strongly and when Irvine were penalised chose to kick into the corner. Unfortunately this tactic proved fruitless and when, with time running out, Irvine were penalised the daunting task of attempting to convert the penalty was handed to the young Ethan Aitken. He struck the ball well and seemed, at first, to be on target but, to the dismay of EK players and supporters, it struck the outside of the post. The final whistle blew and Irvine celebrated.
It is difficult to put a finger on what went wrong for EK. Irvine’s defence was certainly sound and though both Paul Rosie and Calum Aitken made some robust and telling runs neither was able to get past the last line of defence when it really mattered. A number of opportunities to kick at goal when penalties were awarded were eschewed with a kick to touch being the preferred option. Unfortunately this tactic proved fruitless and had many supporters expressing the opinion that penalty kicks should be taken to build a platform from which a winning score can be achieved. What was disappointing was the failure of the EK team to see out the game once they had secured a ten point lead and this was down mainly to a failure to hold on to hard won possession.
Although this was a disappointing result there were many positives. Ethan Aitken showed some deft touches with ball in hand, Alex Irvine continues to improve and Mark Ellison had another sound game at full back and showed some attacking flair. The scrum took time to settle but once they had drove Irvine tellingly at the set piece.
The winning or, as it turned out, losing of the game should not have come down to a penalty kick awarded on the stroke of full-time.
This was a performance that the team has to put behind it. While it is appropriate for players and coaches to analyse the game to identify what has to be done to improve performance and work towards next week’s game against Stewartry.
Team – Mark Ellison, Gregor Haggerty, Robbie Greenfield, Calum Simpson and Richard Murray. Calum Blackwood and Aiden Stott. Scott Aitken, Rian Anderson, Eddie Beaton, Paul Rosie, Ben MacLean, Roddy Beaton, Calum Aitken and Alex Irvine. Replacements (all used) – Chris McLellen, Graeme Blackwood, Ethan Aitken and Callum Tennock-Connelly.
The match started badly for EK when, with under ten minutes played, Irvine’s no. 12 broke through the EK defence to score under the posts. The conversion made the score 7-0 to the home side. First thoughts on the part of EK players and supporters were that this was a blip and before long their team’s superiority would come to the fore. This hope was boosted when, after 15 minutes, Roddy Beaton went over for a try in the right hand corner. The conversion slipped wide but all in old gold and black expected more. These hopes, however, were dashed when after 20 minutes the home team scored a second try, a classic pick and go from a maul in the left corner. With half time beckoning EK came back into the game when Mark Ellison went over on the right hand side of the field and Calum Blackwood converted to make the half-time score 12-12.
Hopes of an improved performance in the second half were high and these hopes were boosted when, first of all, Ethan Aitken slotted a penalty after 10 minutes to put EK in front for the first time. Surely they would build on this! They did when Calum Simpson intercepted in his own half and ran in a try under the Irvine posts. Ethan Aitken converted to give EK a ten point lead with 25 minutes of the match remaining. Irvine upped their game and launched further attacks on the EK line. Their attacking play was rewarded with a converted try 20 minutes into the half and another, unconverted this time, but sufficient to give them a two point lead with only 4 minutes still on the clock. EK came back strongly and when Irvine were penalised chose to kick into the corner. Unfortunately this tactic proved fruitless and when, with time running out, Irvine were penalised the daunting task of attempting to convert the penalty was handed to the young Ethan Aitken. He struck the ball well and seemed, at first, to be on target but, to the dismay of EK players and supporters, it struck the outside of the post. The final whistle blew and Irvine celebrated.
It is difficult to put a finger on what went wrong for EK. Irvine’s defence was certainly sound and though both Paul Rosie and Calum Aitken made some robust and telling runs neither was able to get past the last line of defence when it really mattered. A number of opportunities to kick at goal when penalties were awarded were eschewed with a kick to touch being the preferred option. Unfortunately this tactic proved fruitless and had many supporters expressing the opinion that penalty kicks should be taken to build a platform from which a winning score can be achieved. What was disappointing was the failure of the EK team to see out the game once they had secured a ten point lead and this was down mainly to a failure to hold on to hard won possession.
Although this was a disappointing result there were many positives. Ethan Aitken showed some deft touches with ball in hand, Alex Irvine continues to improve and Mark Ellison had another sound game at full back and showed some attacking flair. The scrum took time to settle but once they had drove Irvine tellingly at the set piece.
The winning or, as it turned out, losing of the game should not have come down to a penalty kick awarded on the stroke of full-time.
This was a performance that the team has to put behind it. While it is appropriate for players and coaches to analyse the game to identify what has to be done to improve performance and work towards next week’s game against Stewartry.
Team – Mark Ellison, Gregor Haggerty, Robbie Greenfield, Calum Simpson and Richard Murray. Calum Blackwood and Aiden Stott. Scott Aitken, Rian Anderson, Eddie Beaton, Paul Rosie, Ben MacLean, Roddy Beaton, Calum Aitken and Alex Irvine. Replacements (all used) – Chris McLellen, Graeme Blackwood, Ethan Aitken and Callum Tennock-Connelly.
Further reading