Accies lost 7-51 to Greenock Wanderers in Pre season match at Fort Matilda yesterday

reenock Wanderers 51 Glasgow Accies 7

Saturday 7th August 2010

Fort Matilda

Pre Season Friendly


Over the last three years Fort Matilda has not been a happy hunting for Glasgow Accies and once again an experimental and inexperienced Accies side went down to a heavy defeat by a highly competent and motivated Greenock side.

Wanderers have been promoted and their adrenalin is obviously still running high. They are a side without any imports and they have benefited from a highly effective youth set up established a few years ago.

They have a set of backs that run and handle extremely well and are devastating on breakdown ball quickly turning defence into attack to deadly effect. Although their pack are not large, and they occasionally struggle in the tight, their running and support play is of a high order giving their threequarters an adequate supply of the ball. On this sort of form they should sail through National League Division 1 with flying colours.

As for Accies they had to play this game with a side devastated by injuries, weddings, exams and holidays and in hindsight it was probably too tough a fixture for this stage of the season. Injuries during the week to Craig Wright, Alan Wilson and Adam Dunlop, the absence of Jamie Doig and Dougie Horner on wedding duty and Fabi Marchetti, and Brad Bell didn’t help the cause.

However despite the score new coach John Beattie must have been pleased with several aspects of the play. The highlight being the lineout, which was excellent until, Wanderers sussed the code towards the end of the game. Some of the running and handling in attack which with a little more composure and confidence and a less alert defence could have lead to several more tries. He will also be happy with the never-say-die attitude that kept them running despite the 23.5C degree heat.

He will not be so pleased with the number of times good ball was lost through sloppy handling and in contact. Wanderers were very sharp and committed at the breakdown and always seemed to have extra men at the point of contact where they counter rucked more effectively.

After losing two rather soft tries in the first 10 minutes Accies stepped up their game and Stewart Smith, who worked tirelessly throughout the game crashed over for a try in the corner after a good move involving several pairs of hands. Ali McLaren landed a beautiful conversion from the touchline to add the 2 extra points. This brought the score back to 12-7

Accies also had a good period at the start of the second half and had a try disallowed for a forward pass and were held up on the line for another. Thereafter it was all Wanderers until the end of the game.

There is a lot of work to do but it is early in the season and a lot of players to return so there is no need to panic at this stage.

Next Saturday Accies play West of Scotland 2nd XV at Burnbrae. Kick Off 3pm

Team

Ben Wilkinson
Mike Hermes
Stewart Smith
Andrew Smart
Max Henderson
Ali McLaren
Ian Williamson
Jamie Coskry
Matteo Giovanazzi
Matt Franklin
Jack Walker
Graeme Simpson
Claudio Urra.
Andy Jackson
Kenneth Beattie

Also played:

Robert Beattie

Claudio Urra

Robert Fuller

Jamie Robertson

This article was originally posted on 8-Aug-2010, 08:22 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 8-Aug-2010, 20:52.