Ardrossan stay in race for Nat One title
Posted: 29/Apr/07
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Injury ravaged Ardrossan Accies got over the disappointment of last weekends narrow National Shield semi-final defeat at Garnock to record a 26 to nil try bonus point victory over Edinburgh University at a dry and windy Peffermill on Saturday to ensure that the race for the National Division One title between leaders Irvine and themselves goes right to the wire.
Tony Finnigan scored the all important bonus try five minutes from time following a classic backs move from a scrummage inside their own “22”.
Fullback Ross MacDougall sliced through the University backline at pace and he offloaded to speed merchant Finnigan on half way who done the rest as he raced off and dived in at the corner for a sensational score.
With Irvine also narrowly missing out on a Cup Final appearance at Murrayfield following their 18v17 defeat at the hands of Falkirk, both of the fierce North Ayrshire rivals now go all out for the right to be crowned National League Division One Champions at next weekends rescheduled final league games of the season.
The Maress side still hold a crucial one point advantage over Ardrossan sitting on 81points against Accies 80. Both rival coaches Jim Barrie and John McHarg know that Irvine have one hand on the trophy and can only throw it away given that a 5 point bonus win over Preston Lodge lands them the title.
The points Accies accrued against Edinburgh University through Neil Longwell, Craig McEwan, Stephen McAllister and Tony Finnigan tries plus Alan Wilson’s 3 conversions nose Accies marginally ahead of Irvine on points differential by 2 points and may yet count should Irvine slip up at Penny Pit park next weekend and Ardrossan themselves manage to record bonus win away against a resurgent Dalziel.
Ardrossan coach Jim Barrie added:
“It was important that we won with a bonus point today to keep the pressure on Irvine. We had a lot of possession in the first half and could have been out of sight had we shown more composure on the ball. Our decision making was out of sorts today which affected our continuity and let the University side have more possession than they ought to have.
“The character of the team shone through in the end to win as they gave their all despite the enforced positional and personnel changes the team had to endure before and during the match through injury.”
There are endless permutations as to where the title will end up and the mathematician’s calculator may well be called upon at 4.30 pm next Saturday afternoon but one thing is for certain, Ardrossan will give their all as they try and wrest the trophy from Irvine’s grasp.

This article was posted on 29-Apr-2007, 19:34 by Hugh Barrow.