BT Premiership ROUND-UP: Ayr overcome Hawks in race for the top

BT Premiership ROUND-UP: Ayr overcome Hawks in race for the top

Ayr 39-13 Glasgow HawksAyr overcame this season’s front-runners Hawks to go top of the BT Premiership table at Millbrae.In what was a close first quarter, Ayr’s out-half Ross Curle and his opposite number George Horne exchanged a series of penalties. Hawks created many attacking opportunities, but handling errors cost them, and Ayr began to dominate the set pieces.The visitors were then depleted when scrum-half Grayson Hart was sin-binned and Ayr took advantage through rampaging number eight and eventual Man of the Match Blair Macpherson, who scored his first of three tries.Prop George Hunter, again playing out of position in the back-row, scored Ayr’s second try, as Hawks kept in touch at half-time through a score from second-row Andy Kirkland.Hawks started the second-half with intent, and after two minutes, flanker Grant Stewart crashed over. However, Hawks centre Brendan McGroarty was then dismissed from the field following a dangerous tackle.He was quickly followed to the sidelines by winger Junior Bulumakau, who received yellow. Hawks showed true fighting spirit with only thirteen men on the pitch, repelling Ayr’s momentum.However, eventually Macpherson got his second, then captain Grant Anderson flew over for a try, while debutante Ruaridh Mackenzie scored his first for Ayr before Macpherson’s third sealed an impressive win for the Millbrae men.Ayr: Tries: Macpherson (3), Hunter, Anderson, Mackenzie. Conversions: Curle (2), Dewhirst. Penalties: Curle. Hawks: Ties: Kirkland, Stewart. Penalties: Horne. Referee: Keith Allen Currie 36-10 BoroughmuirCurrie recorded a five-try win over a strong Boroughmuir outfit to strengthen their mid-table position.However, it was the visitors who made the first decisive move, with early pressure in Currie’s 22, captain Chris Laidlaw pulled the strings for Grant McConnell to go over in the right corner. Currie responded immediately with a successful penalty strike from out-half, Jamie Forbes, before finding sudden momentum through the forwards.Two tries before the interval, the first from Cameron Gray and the second, courtesy of Ben Robbins with Forbes adding both conversions, settled the half-time score at 17-5 in favour of the hosts.After the break, Boroughmuir went down to 14 after Craig Keddie saw yellow, and minutes later, the dangerous Harvey Elms took advantage with a fly in try at the corner before Forbes added the points.A driving maul from Currie set the base for Fergus Scott to crash over, as Boroughmuir found strength in attack to score their second try through Thomas Gracie.Currie had the final say with their fifth try coming courtesy of Reece Paterson after the forwards pushed through the visitor’s defence. Forbes added the conversion minutes before the whistle.Currie: Tries: Gray, Robbins, Elms, Scott, Patterson. Conversions: Forbes (4). Penalties: Forbes. Boroughmuir: Tries: McConnell, Gracie.Referee: Lloyd Linton Image: Adrian Henry  Melrose 17-21 Heriot’s Defending champions Heriot’s troubled performers Melrose with a fine performance at The Greenyards.It was the hosts who took the lead, a break from the impressive Ross McCann eventually setting up Nick Beavon for an early touch down, before Jason Baggott added the conversion. Alex Hagart took advantage of a penalty opportunity for Heriot’s minutes later to get the visitors on the scoreboard, but Melrose soon responded with a try from Richard Ferguson after Neil Irvine-Hess made the initial groundwork. Baggott converted.A break from John Semple set the tone for the forwards to pick and go in the Melrose 22, before the ball was fed wide to Harry Boisseau, who acrobatically touched down in the corner for Heriot’s. After the interval, Baggott and Semple exchanged penalties and it was Heriot’s who pressurised consistently, eventually landing a penalty try through the forwards with Melrose collapsing the driving maul.Hagart claimed a penalty shortly after before Melrose gave it their all in the closing stages. Heriot’s held on to see out an important victory, which sees them settle in the top four.This match also marked the handing over of the Bill McLaren Shield with Heriot’s taking the shield from the defending holders, Melrose.Melrose: Tries: Beavon, Ferguson. Conversions: Baggott (2). Penalties: Baggott. Heriots: Tries: Boisseau. Conversions: Hagart. Penalties: Hagart (3). Referee: Neil MuirImage: Douglas Hardie Stirling County 21-19 WatsoniansDespite the final score, the visitors took the lead following Reiss Cullen’s pass to out-half Ewan Scott in the 13th minute, as Scott pushed his conversion attempt shy of the posts.County responded with a penalty from Jonny Hope before Watsonians claimed their second try through Max McFarland, who brushed past the defence on the wing to go over. Andrew Chalmers converted. The hosts responded through the boot of Hope, who slotted County’s second penalty of the afternoon before a half-time score of 12-6 to the visitors.Watsonians bagged the first score of the second-half, a try from Angus Duckett followed some neat forward play before Chalmers added the resulting penalty.County reacted with a break from Hamilton Burr, which enabled Craig Pringle to go over for the host’s first try.Tom Hart then saw yellow for the visitors and County took full advantage with a successful penalty from Hope.County found themselves in the Watsonians 22 with minutes on the clock and it was Mike MacDonald who went over before Hope converted to seal the win for the home side.Stirling County: Tries: Pringle, MacDonald. Penalties: Hope (3). Conversion: Hope. Watsonians: Tries: Scott, Chalmers, Duckett. Conversions: Chalmers (2).Referee: David SutherlandGala 22-21 HawickIn a Borders derby at Netherdale, Gala edged out Hawick to bounce back from their away defeat to Heriot’s last weekend.The hosts made the brighter start with an early try from Craig Robertson, converted by Gregor Hunter. Gala enjoyed a spell of possession and extended their lead minutes later, a score from Paul Hendry was again converted by Hunter. Hawick responded with a series of penalties from Ali Weir and a try from Wesley Hamilton, converted by Weir on the stroke of half-time.In the second-half, an early penalty for Weir kept Hawick in a strong position before Hunter responded with three points for Gala.The visitors continued to pressurise and were successful in their attempts, Michael Robertson finding the line in the 67th minute.Gala reacted with their third try of the match, Ross Combe going over inside the final ten minutes to sneak a hard fought victory.Gala: Tries: Robertson, Hendry, Combe. Conversions: Hunter (2). Penalties: Hunter. Hawick: Tries: Hamilton, Robertson. Conversions: Weir. Penalties: Weir (3).Referee: Mike Adamson Image: Alwyn Johnstone 

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