Ayr 37 - 13 Boroughmuir: Referee’s display fails to dampen lively encounter

TO World Cup referees Bryce Lawrence, Wayne Barnes and Alain Rolland, add Alan Campbell to the list of under-fire match officials.

Campbell seemed to be doing his best on Saturday to spoil an otherwise enthralling 80 minutes, repeatedly being confronted by captains seeking clarity for perplexing decisions.

Contentious refereeing aside, Ayr’s five tries to one win is conclusive in anyone’s book.

The visitors’ good start received scant reward, two Ally Warnock penalties to one from Sylvain Diez, before a yellow card for skipper Sean Crombie gave the home side an advantage which scrum-half A J McFarlane pressed home with a try which Diez converted. Warnock narrowed the deficit with a third penalty but McFarlane’s kick into space and a friendly bounce saw Ross Curle make it 15-9.

Three minutes into the second half Ayr manufactured a sublime try for stand-off Robbie Fergusson. Diez converted, but Ian Moody cancelled it out straight from the re-start.

Diez and Warnock again exchanged penalties then, with Fergusson in the sin bin, Anderson’s try earned Ayr their bonus point before Scott Sutherland’s last-minute try iced their cake.

Scorers: Ayr – Tries: McFarlane, Curle, Fergusson, Anderson, Sutherland; Cons: Diez (3); Pens: Diez (2). Boroughmuir – Try: Moody; Pens: Warnock (4).

Ayr: G Anderson, S Manning, R Curle, M Stewart, S Diez, R Fergusson, AJ McFarlane; G Sykes, H Wisnewski, A Kelly, J Dunning, C White, J Willis, A Dunlop, G Fisken. Subs: S Fenwick, S Sutherland, C Davidson, B McPherson, C Taylor.

Boroughmuir: A Warnock, R Bradford, S Wilson, M Hare, J Webster, H Leonard, S Johnson; R Hislop, S Crombie, B Blair, G Scott, A Davidson, J Swanson, A Rose, I Moody. Replacements: J Latta, N Fraser, M Harvey, G Blackhall, M Clapperton.

Referee: A Campbell.