Ayr 17 - 5 Glasgow Hawks: Willis try proves key to gritty victory

FORMER Taranaki skipper Jonno Willis does what Kiwi flankers do best – ensuring his side wins the breakdown battle.

However, on his Ayr debut Willis did something else – scoring the crucial second try which gave his team the cushion to withstand a second-half Hawks onslaught in the Millbrae mud.

Victory gave Ayr a second straight win and now coach Kenny Murray wants to see the side build momentum in the remaining RBS Premiership 1 league games and on into the British & Irish Cup.

“Our kicking game was poor, as was our game management. I thought that Hawks played well, but, in those difficult conditions I’ll take the win.

“Now we want to build on this against Heriot’s next week,” said Murray.

Opposite number Peter Wright was disappointed by the result, but not the performance as Hawks lifted their game from last week’s home thumping from Currie and the final scoreline was perhaps a little harsh on them.

“Ayr were clinical in the ten minutes before half time, when they got their tries, but, we kept our shape and kept going despite the result.

“However, credit to both teams for trying to play expansive rugby in those conditions,” he added.

The game had begun in dreadful conditions, which accounted for a rather uneventful opening 25 minutes.

However, a Sylvain Diez penalty broke the stalemate, with Ayr pushing on to lead 17-0 at the break on the back of young Robbie Fergusson gliding through the splintered Hawks’ defence from the ninth phase of a concerted Ayr attack in 35 minutes, Diez converting.

Right on the interval, the home pack won a lineout on the Hawks line, their first two charges were repulsed, but Willis was finally driven over and Diez again converted. Ross Curle’s 46th-minute yellow card for upending the flying Tom Steven illegally gave Hawks hope, which became a 50th-minute try, Steven finishing-off a sniping Kris Hamilton break off an advancing scrum.

However, as the Ayr back row of Willis, Andy Dunlop and eventual winner Graham Fiskin played themselves onto the short leet for man of the match, all Hawks’ later pressure proved in vain and that Steven try was to prove their only score.

Not even a second Ayr yellow, for Aussie lock Josh Dunning, could provide Hawks with the edge they needed to salvage anything from what was, in the conditions, a terrific game of rugby.

Scorers: Ayr - Tries: Fergusson, Willis; Cons: Diez (2); Pen: Diez. Hawks - Try: Steven

Ayr: G Anderson; S Manning, R Curle, M Stewart, S Diez, R Ferguson, AJ MacFarlane; S Fenwick, H Wisnewski, A Kelly, J Dunning, C White, J Willis, A Dunlop, G Fisken. Substitutes: Andrew MacFarlane, C Davidson, C Templeton, M McConnell, C Taylor.

Glasgow Hawks: P Jericevich; T Steven, G Macdonald, R Wilson, K Gossman, M Martin, K Hamilton; S Findlay, E Milligan, J Lohar, R McKay, N Campbell, S Leckie, R Hamilton, A Barbieri. Substitutes: G Davies, P Henderson, A Kirkland, M Taylor, L Kinsey.

Referee: A McMenemy