HELENSBURGH’S bid to do the double on Paisley this season ran out of steam on a dismal day on Saturday as the Buddies triumphed 20-10.

Amid the mid-winter gloom, and on a very muddy pitch, Helensburgh hoped to maintain their recent form against a side they had beaten comfortably earlier in the season.

However, Paisley started the stronger and pushed Burgh back into their 22 for much of the early exchanges, forcing the game’s first try after their forwards drove over the line after 11 minutes. The conversion made it 7-0.

The Grizzlies pushed forward from the restart, forcing a mistake by a Paisley player, who kicked the ball straight into touch outside the 22; from the line-out scrum-half Paul Howell passed out to Ali Rogers at full-back, who bulldozed his way through, winning Helensburgh a penalty for foul play at the ruck from which winger Reece Court made it 10-3.

Straight from the re-start, Burgh worked themselves back into the Paisley half and another penalty gave Court the chance to close the gap, but this time the ball slipped wide of the posts.

Paisley then increased their lead after repeatedly breaching the Burgh defence, and two more converted penalties gave them a 13-3 lead at half time.

Burgh started the second half strongly, with centre Nick Fish making a searing run to the five-metre line where he was tackled into touch. A penalty to Burgh saw them elect for the scrum, but Paisley won the put-in and cleared the danger.

More foul play saw a Paisley lock yellow-carded and Phil Farren took full advantage of the missing man to smash through the opposition defence before he was stopped just short.

Further drives by David Calderwood and Phil Ard allowed Cammy Kerr to break the Paisley defence to score under the posts; Court converted to make it 13-10 with 62 minutes played.

But the Grizzlies let their guards down and this time Paisley took full advantage to score from a driving maul in the corner, with a superb conversion giving the hosts a ten point lead.

Burgh again drove themselves forward with Craig Wight making good ground against a solid Paisley defence, but the Buddies held strong until the final whistle, with a dejected Burgh side left without even a losing bonus point.

Burgh: Rogers, Bowman, Fish, Fletcher, Linzee-Gordon, Court, Howell, Ramsay, Ashdown, Ard, D. Calderwood, Raeside, C. Calderwood, Kerr, Alton. Subs: Jamison, Wight, Farren, Robertson, Wain.

This Saturday, Burgh welcome fourth-placed Strathaven to Ardencaple. Kick-off is at 2pm and a big crowd would be very welcome.