Scotland on Sunday reports

Glasgow Hawks 18 - 29 Ayr: Holders clip Hawks' wings on their way to cup semi-final in Capital

Published Date: 27 March 2011
By Lewis Renton
at Old Anniesland
Ayr remain on track to retain the Premier Cup after victory in a pulsating quarter-final that was a fantastic advert for Scottish club rugby.
The Millbrae men will now meet Boroughmuir at Meggetland in the last four on 9 April, with the winners due to meet Melrose on Scottish Cup Finals day at Murrayfield a week later.

Despite taking an early lead from a Dean Kelbrick penalty, the hosts were soon on the back foot, Scotland under-20 centre Mark Bennett showing why he is held in such high regard with a scything break to canter in under the posts.

Ayr scrum-half Ross Curle added the conversion, before crossing for a self-converted try with the game still only 10 minutes old, finishing off a move instigated by the strong running of Cammy Taylor.

Kelbrick chipped away at the deficit with a second successful penalty effort, but it was merely a brief respite, as the seasiders were soon camped in home territory. Inevitably, they breached the Hawks try line, with Curle again the catalyst, his quick tap penalty allowing Mark Stewart sufficient space to squeeze over. Curle failed to add the extras.

Ayr captain Damien Kelly was as influential as ever in the loose, yet it was his sin-binning for persistent offences at the breakdown that gave Hawks the field position to construct their first meaningful attack, resulting in captain Rory McKay burrowing over from close range for an unconverted score.

It was Hawks who drew first blood in the second period, winger Robbie Hair cruising over for a try converted by Kelbrick, but their failure to capitalise on their superior pressure allowed their visitors to maintain a stranglehold on the game.

And they were punished for their wastefulness just after the 60 minute mark, a dazzling break from Steven Manning enabling AJ Macfarlane to bundle over.

The tie was put beyond doubt in the final stages as Andy Dunlop powered over from close range to give the scoreboard a lopsided look.

Scorers: Hawks: Tries: R McKay, R Hair. Con: D Kelbrick. Pens: Kelbrick 2. Ayr: Tries: M Bennett, R Curle, M Stewart, AJ Macfarlane, A Dunlop. Cons: Curle 2.

Hawks: C Gossman; R Hair, D Kelbrick, T Preece, J White (K Gossman 8); P Jericevich, K Hamilton (T Steven 70); A Smith, E Milligan (S Cameron 37), G Strain, R Hamilton, N Campbell (A Hill 65), R McKay, B Karalus, G Strang.

Ayr: G Anderson; S Manning, M Bennett, M Stewart, C Taylor; R Curle, AJ Macfarlane; G Reid, S Adair, A Kelly (G Sykes 56), S Sutherland, D Kelly, R Colhoun, P Burke, A Dunlop.

This article was posted on 27-Mar-2011, 06:36 by Hugh Barrow.