Gallant Greens pay the penalty in injury time

0 - 0 • Published 26 Mar 2009 10:30

Marr 16 Helensburgh 15

HELENSBURGH suffered another setback in their bid to remain in National League Division 3 after losing the decisive points to Marr in injury time.

The Helensburgh squad were confident during the warm up for this decisive game and were relishing the opportunity to play open expansive rugby in the ideal conditions at Troon.

However, it was the home side who dictated a furious pace from the off and were dragging the Burgh defence from touch line to touch line with their alert 15-man rugby.

The two big home locks were rampant, brushing off tacklers, and with 10 minutes played they rumbled down to the the Burgh try line. Second phase ball to their inside centre and a neat reverse pass saw their stand off touch down for the opening try.

Marr were now on a roll with the Helensburgh forwards on the back foot and the home side won a penalty as the Burgh pack killed the ball at the breakdown. This kick was slotted over to take the score to Marr 10 Helensburgh 0 with less than 15 minutes played.

Growing confidence from the home side saw them now playing sevens-style rugby threatening to rip the Burgh defence apart but the visitors stuck to their task.

Helensburgh were desperate to get into the game and a run out of defence by Phil Rogers, supported by Owen Macinroy, Joel Hammond and Shaun MacNee, took play into the Marr red zone for the first time but Helensburgh were penalised for hands in the ruck.

This relieved the pressure on the home line but a belief was beginning to build within the Burgh and a number of forward drives took play back into home territory.

Another break out by Marr saw them upfield again threatening the Burgh line but a strong covering tackle from Ross Gibson kept them out.

A big kick from captain Riding took play up into the opposition half and a turn over at the maul gave Helensburgh the opportunity to put ball through their hands and an inside break by Stewart Holmes provided Ali Rogers the opportunity to run in for a well-deserved try.

Riding"s conversion scraped over the bar to put his team into the game.

Helensburgh were now playing with assurance and for the first time nerves were creeping into the home side"s game. A break by Stevie Walker just inside the Marr half was taken on by MacNee and Inglis fed Duncan Watt who was stopped on the line but quick ball to Riding saw him put in a high cross kick and this was chased down by Johnnie Drake for an important try just before half-time.

The conversion drifted wide but the visitors were in the lead for the first time with the score at Marr 10 Helensburgh 12.

Helensburgh kicked off at the start of the second period and a nervous knock on from the Marr stand off gave Helensburgh field advantage but it was not long before the big home pack were pressing in the Burgh red zone.

This pressure provided them with early points as the visitors infringed at the breakdown to take the home side back into the lead at Marr 13 Helensburgh 12 with eight minutes of the half played.

Both teams continued to try and play positive rugby but nerves were playing their part and neither team was able to wrestle control however the home side was dominating territorially.

With 20 minutes of the half played and Helensburgh absorbing all that Marr could throw at them Stevie Walker fielded a high kick on the halfway line and with support from Johnnie Drake went down into opposition territory where Watt & Hammond set up the ruck and won a penalty. This was popped over by Riding to reinstate Helensburgh into the lead at Marr 13 Helensburgh 15. Josh Rettie was replaced on the left wing by Danny Campbell.

Both sides were now desperate to put the game away but the referee was becoming noticably officious in his control of the play but neither team was able to profit from these intrusions. The game ran beyond the allotted 80 and with 3 minutes of injury time on the clock Helensburgh were penalised some 35 metres out for offside at the breakdown as Marr were going forward. The Marr kicker had missed three earlier easy attempts in the second period but the Fickle Finger of Fate was pointing at a brave Burgh squad as the kick was converted to take the final score to a bitter 16 -15 points against.

This result does not actually dispatch the Helensburgh squad to relegation and with their current commitment and a fair rub of the green in their remaining four games they may find a way out of trouble.Helensburgh: A.Rogers, J.Drake,P.Rogers,S.Holmes,J.Rettie,D.Riding,S.Walker,

MacInroy,MacNee,A.Drake,Hammond,Inglis,Watt,SOmmerville,Gibson/ Subs:Flloyd,Feltham,Campbell.

Visitors to Ardencaple on Saturday 28th March are third placed Allan Glen"s who are challenging for promotion. This difficult game will kick off at 3pmfrom the Marr stand off gave Helensburgh field advantage but it was not long before the big home pack were pressing in the Burgh red zone.

This pressure provided them with early points as the visitors infringed at the breakdown to take the home side back into the lead at Marr 13 Helensburgh 12 with eight minutes of the half played.

Both teams continued to try and play positive rugby but nerves were playing their part and neither team was able to wrestle control, however the home side was dominating territorially.

With 20 minutes of the half played and Helensburgh absorbing all that Marr could throw at them, Stevie Walker fielded a high kick on the halfway line and with support from Johnnie Drake went down into opposition territory.

Watt and Hammond set up the ruck and won a penalty. This was popped over by Riding to reinstate Helensburgh into the lead at Marr 13 Helensburgh 15.

Both sides were now desperate to put the game away, but the referee was becoming noticably officious in his control of the play but neither team was able to profit from these intrusions.

The game ran beyond the allotted 80 and with three minutes of injury time on the clock Helensburgh were penalised some 35 metres out for offside at the breakdown as Marr were going forward.

The Marr kicker had missed three earlier easy attempts in the second period but the fickle finger of fate was pointing at a brave Burgh squad as the kick was converted to take the final score to a bitter 16-15 points against.

Helensburgh: A Rogers, J Drake, P Rogers, S Holmes, J Rettie, D Riding, S Walker, MacInroy, MacNee, A Drake, Hammond, Inglis, Watt, Sommerville, Gibson. Subs: Flloyd, Feltham, Campbell.

Visitors to Ardencaple on Saturday are third placed Allan Glen"s, who are challenging for promotion. This difficult encounter will kick off at 3pm.

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This article appeared in Helensburgh Advertiser 26 Mar 09

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