Ayr 49 - 14 Selkirk : Mark Bennett bags big points haul to put Ayr back on top

AYR coach Kenny Murray was all smiles after he emerged from "Emergency Ward Ten", as he dubbed the home dressing room, to reflect on a victory which had taken his side back to the top of the Premiership 1 table.

"For a club which allegedly imports all our players, the big bonus for us was to have so many young local players playing a part in this win", he said.

"Our resources have been stretched, but we've now got some more important players ready to come back. I was pleased at how we bounced back from last week, but we could have scored more tries and can still improve further."

His opposite number Graham Marshall was in more reflective mood. "We lack resources, we know, but I feel our guys are better players than they showed," he said. "We gave some cheap scores away today, after a good start, which is something we haven't always managed this season."

Ayr's teenage centre sensation Mark Bennett weighed in with 24 points from three tries, three conversions and a penalty - even the watching Selkirk and Scotland legend John Rutherford was impressed. But Murray will keep the 17-year-old Scotland Under-18 captain's feet on the ground. "His kicking was poor," chided the coach.

Bennett had good support from co-centre Richard McCallum, rediscovering his feet in Scotland after a season in France, and 18-year-old winger Robbie Fergusson, who scored a terrific try and was later sin-binned as, for once, the home backs out-shone their pack, in which Dean Stewart was a more than capable focal point for the missing Damien "Skippy" Kelly.

Selkirk ran well from limited opportunities, not least when Darren Clapperton scored their try early in a second half which was 5-5 until Ayr's power paid off in the closing ten minutes.

Three David Cassidy penalties put Selkirk ahead after ten minutes, but a Bennett penalty and tries from Jonno Crossan, Richard McCallum, and Fergusson made it 25-9 at the break.

Clapperton's try was cancelled out by Glen Tippett while Selkirk's Peter Forrest sat out ten minutes, before Bennett, twice, and the departing Jamie Hunter scored in Ayr's late barrage.

Scorers: Ayr: Tries: Crossan, R McCallum, Fergusson, Bennett (3), Tippett, Hunter. Conversions: Bennett (3). Penalty: Bennett. Selkirk: Try: Clapperton. Penalties: 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: Andrew Healy.