National League Division Two

ARDROSSAN ACCIES 69

ORKNEY RFC 14

by Danny McGreish

ACCIES' visitors to the Memorial Field on Saturday are probably the most-travelled club in Scottish Rugby.

Orkney were making their first visit to Ardrossan and it is a one they will remember, as they suffered a brutal defeat by their hosts who ran in 11 tries in the process.

In dry conditions and with wind advantage, Orkney kicked off the match playing towards the school end.

Robert Hunter returned play deep into the visitors half before a knock on resulted in a scrum. The home pack drove the visitors eight back as they asserted a dominance that continued throughout the game. Accies came close to scoring in five minutes when Andy Duncan burst up the wing to touch down in the corner but was judged to have touched the line in the process scoring. With 10 minutes gone and Orkney still unable to get into the home half it was only a matter of time before Accies scored. It duly came after a good lineout take, Kyle Wood drove up the middle of the park, the ball was transferred wide for Martin Gaetano to score. Jack Anderson converted the first of his seven conversions of the afternoon

With the visitors continually on the back foot and unable to cope with both the speed of the Accies backs and the wide transfer of ball it was looking that a hard afternoon shift was in store.

With half an hour gone Accies had run in two further scores through Stuart Lewis and Gordon Telfer.

Orkney did, however get on the scoreboard when a lovely break up the middle caught the Accies defence absent and No.15 Craig Slater went over for the score. Russell converted.

Kyle Wood retired injured and was replaced by Stuart McMaster, who went in to the second row with the ubiquitous Euan Thomson moving into the back row.

From an attacking scrum, the Accies pack surged forward and Gordon Telfer scored his second and bonus point try. Straight from the restart kick, Accies launched another attack that put together one of their best handling moves of several seasons. The interplay between forwards and backs saw the ball go through eight pairs of hands before Robert Hunter finished off the play with a try.

For a period after the interval the home side took their foot off the gas, allowing their opponents to get more possession of the ball and getting into the Accies half considerably more than they had been in the first half. From one such visit they scored their second try after their captain Graham Poke spotted acres of space on the left, his accurate cross kick found winger Morgan who finished off the well worked move. Bain converted.

There was an obvious gulf between the two teams and if Accies had been more clinical several additional tries should have been recorded but they were becoming wasteful through needlessly kicking away possession rather than passing to supporting runners.

Accies increased their lead in 56 minutes when Euan Thomson finished off a cross field move by going in for the score. Anderson kicked the conversion. Two minutes later another score came when Robert Hunter scored from an Andy Duncan break. Two minutes later there was another try. Stuart Lewis broke down the blind side and fed inside for Gordon Telfer to score. In 70 minutes. Telfer scored his fourth try from another Stuart Lewis break. The conversion was good. Shortly after, Accies 10th try was scored, when Stuart Lewis finished off a Telfer charge. With full-time approaching Accies scored another try - Lewis again darted up the blind side off a scrum and released Anderson to go over.

This was a comprehensive victory for the home side and there was no way the score flattered them as it could and should have been much more.

The home pack were in form providing an unlimited supply of ball to the backs who used their pace to great effect.

Orkney, for their part, battled bravely but the difference in fitness and ability was too great, while for the hosts, stiffer tests lie ahead.

ARDROSSAN ACCIES: B Hamilton; S Campbell, K McNulty, E Thomson, M Henry, K Wood, J Thomson, G Telfer, S Lewis, J Anderson, G Lewis ,R Hunter ,B Hunter, .M Gaeatno, A Duncan. Subs: S Docherty, S McMaster, J Young ,R Anderson ( all used).