GHK v Kilmarnock Match Report

GHK -v- Kilmarnock 21st September 2013

Kilmarnock, a club with a fine history in Scottish Rugby, were the visitors to OA this weekend for round four of the RBS West League 1 fixtures. GHK used this occasion to give a debut to their new strips, and rather smart they looked too. Unfortunately, the snappy outfits did not translate in to a Saville Row performance on the field from the home side. At times GHK’s performance did look like a bit of a patch up job. However, in the end a victory was secured.

It had all started quite brightly for the hosts as after a couple of forays in to the Killie twenty two, new centre Davie McKeown cut through for a try after good lead up play by Scott Robertson and Hugh Parker. Davie Reed added the conversion. 7-0 to GHK after six minutes.

For their part Killie, who came in to the game after a mixed run of results, began to put together some decent moves and after the quarter hour they opened their account with a penalty awarded after a GHK forward was adjudged to not have released. 7-3. From the kick off Killie were right back in to their driving game, but when a long pass was slung out the backs Davie Reed was on hand to snaffle the interception and galloped clear under the posts. A seven point bonus indeed. 14-3 to the home side.

There was not a great deal of structure to the game with neither side managing to put together a series of drives or phases of play. Neither try line was under too much in the way of serious threat. Both sides did exchange penalty scores to make it 17-6 after twenty five minutes. When Davie Reed took the score to 20-6 in favour of the hosts, courtesy of another penalty, it looked as though GHK had got themselves a modest cushion.

Kilmarnock however demonstrated a determined streak. They got themselves in to a decent attacking position with a line out just outside the GHK twenty two on the right. Their forwards took good clean possession, drove on and crisp passing along the backs was interrupted by their inside centre running a great line and splitting the GHK defence. A try under the posts was the outcome. A very well worked team try. 20 – 13. Despite possession in the visitors twenty two in the final moments of the half GHK could not add further to the score and half time arrived with Killie trailing by seven.

The second period saw Kilmarnock impose their game plan, of picking and driving, on the home side and they got their reward as GHK resorted to illegal means conceding a number of penalties. Two of these kicks were successfully converted by the Killie stand off. Once again the lead was cut to a single point. 20-19 to GHK with barely fifteen minutes of the second half gone.

The home side finally got some ball in the Killie half and they were rewarded with a penalty after the visitors were adjudged to have killed the ball on the ground. Scott Robertson, who had taken over the kicking duties, added the three points. 23-19 (despite what Jake’s score board might have said). Back came Kilmarnock and when the GHK defence crept offside another penalty was slotted over by the Killie kicker. 23-22.
The OA support were doing what they could to push the home side over the line. At last there did seem to be some urgency on the part of the hosts. Killie were keen to get their hands on the ball but they were just a little too eager on occasions and another offside infringement gave Scott Robertson the chance to add a further three points. Thankfully, the full back’s boot was working well and with eight minutes to go he restored the four point margin. 26 -22 to a relieved GHK.

The last few minutes were not terribly pretty, but GHK’s defence held out, helped in no small part by some excellent pressure relieving line kicking by Rory Long. The home scrum had been very solid all day and competed well on the opposition ball. This certainly helped calm the nerves in the closing stages. It was indeed off one of these scrums that Mike Aird howked the ball in to the Jimmy Ireland Stand to bring the match to an end.

Final score GHK 26 Kilmarnock 22

GHK man of the match – Paul Polson

Today saw the final occasion when one of our physios, Eilidh, helped out with the squad before heading down to Yorkshire to stay with her parents before heading off on a world tour. World tour or a wet November Saturday at OA? Hmmm, not an easy one. Eilidh has been a star performer at pitch side and in the treatment room looking after wounded souls (including the occasional hapless committee member) for some considerable time. She has looked after the welfare of players in an immensely professional way. She has helped with rehabilitation and treatment of players and we are all very much in her debt for looking after the players and getting them back on the field, but only when she said so!

All at GHK Rugby thank her for her mega contribution over the years. We wish her all the best in her adventures and look forward to welcoming her back to OA hopefully in the not too distant future.

This article was posted on 22-Sep-2013, 15:29 by Ronnie Gourley.

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This article was posted on 22-Sep-2013, 17:23 by Hugh Barrow.