Ayr 49 - 14 Selkirk: Ayr bounce back

Some of Ayr's continuity play was first-rate, and Scotland Under-18 captain Mark Bennett was in sparkling form with a hat-trick of tries. He and Richard McCallum in the centre were a potent pair for the winners.

Selkirk and David Cassidy took advantage of Ayr indiscipline at the break-down to go 9-0 up in as many minutes with three penalties, but once Bennett had opened his account with a penalty for Ayr, the home side cut loose.

Jonno Crossan, Richard McCallum with a try he started and finished and Robbie Fergusson put Ayr 25-9 up at the break with three tries.

Darren Clapperton cut the deficit, but when Selkirk's Peter Forrest was yellow-carded after two minutes on the park, Glen Tippett got Ayr going again.

Ayr's Fergusson also sat out ten minutes, but in the final ten Bennett scored two further tries, before Jamie Hunter, in his final match in pink and black prior to moving to London, brought the house down by finishing off a superb length-of-the park movement on 78 minutes.

Bennett had the last word with the conversion and his overall performance earned praise from one interested spectator, Selkirk and Scotland legend John Rutherford, who said: "He's certainly a terrific prospect, but as a Selkirk man, I thought we were simply over-powered."

Ayr coach Kenny Murray said: "Not bad for a team with seven or eight first choices missing."

Scorers: Ayr: Tries: Crossan, R McCallum, Fergusson, Bennett 3, Tippett, Hunter. Cons: Bennett 3. Pens: Bennett. Selkirk: Try: Clapperton. Pen: Cassidy 3.

Ayr: Anderson, Manning (McClung), Bennett, R McCallum, Fergusson, Curle, MacFarlane (Hunter); Reid, Fenwick (Robinson), Kelly, D Stewart, Nimmo, Crossan (P McCallum), Dunlop, Tippett (Rae).

Selkirk: Harkness, N Godsmark, Cassidy, Armstrong (Nixon), Clapperton, Craig, McVie; Taylor, Walling (Conor), Weller (Martin), Patton (R Godsmark), Willet, Darling, Johnstone (Forrest), Renwick.

Referee: A Healy.