Ayr 51 - 5 Aberdeen Grammar: Back to winning business for Ayr as delayed Grammar feel backlash

By MATT VALANCE
Published on 21/10/2012 01:19

AFTER last week’s disappointing first defeat of the season, at Currie, back on home turf at Millbrae it was business as usual for Ayr, with a thumping nine tries to one victory over Aberdeen Grammar School FP.

The visitors might have been forgiven had they started slowly, after their team coach was caught-up in the accident on the A92 and the kick-off was put-back some 30 minutes. However, they posed a few questions of the league leaders in a points-free first quarter, which was somewhat scrappy, the players’ confidence not aided by some 
contrary decisions from referee Lloyd Linton.

Ayr had already messed up some promising thrusts when, in 25 
minutes, from Grant Anderson’s line break, Robbie Fergusson was at his shoulder to take the scoring pass and go over.

Almost from the restart Anderson was at it again, with a delightful show-and-go bemusing two would-be tacklers, before he sprinted into the Grammar 22, leaving Craig Gossman with the simplest of 
run-ins for 10-0.

Ayr spent the final eight minutes of the half with 14 men, following a yellow card for Andy Dunlop, but the visitors could not make their extra man count. Six minutes into the second half, Ayr stretched 
further in front, hooker Hayden Wisnewski rumbling over from short range following a series of “dunts” from his fellow forwards.

Grammar were now seriously rattled and three minutes later, home skipper Callum Forrester gathered a slack clearance kick just inside his own half, Ayr moved left, Gossman sped fluently up the left wing before passing inside for Sylvain Diez, a half-time replacement for Fergusson, to score with typical Gallic elan. Finally, the bonus point being secure, Peter Jerecevich goaled the conversion.

Try number five followed shortly thereafter. Again man of the match Anderson was the mainspring, with another solo break, again 
finished-off by Gossman and Jerecevich converting.

A stream of changes took something of the fluency out of things for a spell, before Ayr finished with a bang. Try number six was scored by Glasgow Warrior’s Gordon Reid, making the final six inches after fellow prop Denford Mutamangira was stopped on the line.

In 69 minutes, another slack clearance kick was punished when Ayr gathered and after a spell of inter-passing, centre Richard Dalgleish sped home between the sticks from 35-metres out, to leave Jerecevich with a simple third conversion.

In the final ten minutes, Ayr were beginning to think of the half-century, but, before that, Aberdeen’s refusal to stop attacking whenever possible was rewarded by an unconverted try from replacement Sam Knudson.

However, this was a meaningless flourish as Ayr went after their target and Anderson capped a brilliant display with a superb solo 
try, before that man Reid had the final say with a cheeky solo try, taking possession at a ruck on 
the Grammar 22, dummying and rumbling over to complete the scoring.

That brought up the half century and send the Ayr fans home happy.

Scorers Ayr: Tries: Fergusson, C Gossman (2), Wisnewski, Diez, Reid (2), Dalgleish, Anderson; Conversions: Jerecevich (3). Aberdeen GSFP: Try: Knudson.

Ayr: G Anderson, C Gossman, R Fergusson, R Dalgleish, C Taylor, F Russell, PO Jerecevich; D Mutamangira, H Wisnewski, G Hunter, N Campbell, S Sutherland, J Eddie, A Dunlop, C Forrester (capt). Replacements used: D Young, G Reid, C White, R Doneghan, S Diez.

Aberdeen GSFP: S Aitken, E Oag, C Anderson, J Knight, A Hales, G Clow, J Lauder; M Dixon, S O’Connor, S Corsar, S Smith, M Douglas, G Ryan, T McGuinness, C Eyre. Replacements used: S Bingham, N Fraser, A Crammond, M Ryan, S Knudson.

Referee: Lloyd Linton