Ardrossan Accies safe after victory

ARDROSSAN ACCIES 23

LASSWADE 12

by Danny McGreish

GIVEN their current situation in the league, the visitors from Bonnyrigg had to record a victory at the Memorial Field if they were to avoid relegation.

Accies on the other hand just required one point from their remaining three fixtures to secure their continued membership in next season's National Two.

On a heavy pitch the visitors kicked off the match, and the ball didn't travel the required distance giving Accies the first scrum on the halfway line.

The hosts then produced three phases of play to take them into the visitors 22 but a spilled pass brought a promising attack to an end.

The hosts should have gone in front in 15 minutes when prop Forward Ben Hamilton set up a ruck. The ball was quickly shipped right but again frantic distribution resulted in another spilled ball..

Such was the dominance of Accies; possession , that the visitors had only managed to get into their half once in 10 minutes.

The hosts eventually scored in t 23rd minutes when clean lineout catch by Stuart Lamont released the ball to Rory Couper and his inside pass found Gordon Telfer who drove deep before setting up the ruck . Quick ball from the ruck was transferred to full back Stuart Lewis who went in for the try, but the conversion was missed.

Jack Anderson added another three points with a penalty for Accies.

Anderson then charged down a Lasswade clearance kick inside their 22, but the foot race to touch down the rebound was won by the visiting full-back.

Accies were reduced to 14 players in 34 minutes after Milan Marinkovic was sent to the sin-bin following a debatable refereeing decision of the player "spear tackling " an opponent.

The hosts added another three points to their tally after Anderson slotted another penalty two minutes into the second half.

Lasswade were getting more of the ball in the second half but play was still disjointed and frantic from both sides, fluid rugby it was not. Error =strewn passes were common place , probably caused by nerves as the consequence of losing the match was known to both teams.I

In 56 minutes Accies scored their second try when captain Stuart Lamont finished off a move which was instigated by Lewis from deep inside his own half. The conversion was missed.

Lasswade finally scored four minutes later when Dylan Turnbull finished off a driving maul to touch down. Bernard Hennessy added the conversion.

Calum McKechnie scored the try of the match and Accies' third six minutes from time when he sprinted from the halfway line and then side- stepped inside the cover defence to touch down. The conversion was good.

Accies were again reduced to 14 players when Ben Hamilton was sent to the naughty step for a late tackle.

On the final move of the match,,Lasswade scored a second try after Stephen Hunter finished off a handling move. The conversion was missed.

On the final whistle Accies got the result they deserved, but victory should have been by a far bigger margin.

ARDROSSAN ACCIES: S Lewis; D.McGregor ,C.McKechnie, R.Couper, R Hunter, J Anderson ,J. Dagledenis, B Hamilton , J Totic, I Frazer , E Thomson, M McFarlane, G Telfer, S.Lamont, M Marinkovic. Subs: S Campbell, M Hood, J Thomson, M Pursley (all used).