Heriot’s 15 - 33 Ayr

Ayr continued their rebound from last month’s 50-point drubbing by Currie with a workmanlike performance to see off Heriot’s on Saturday.

Combined with results elsewhere, the five-point haul has moved them back into the title race and underlined the effectiveness of changes implemented after that hefty loss, which has been followed by three successive wins.

“That was a big turnaround,” said their assistant coach Peter Laverie.

“We have changed one or two things in training – upped the intensity and shortened the amount of work.” Of the win, he said: “What won it for us was our speed and reorganisation in defence, we put them under enough pressure to force them to make mistakes and we took our chances.”

Ayr eased into a 20-0 lead after half an hour, with Sylvain Diez slotting two penalties and converting tries by Josh Dunning and Mark Stewart.

Heriot’s rallied with a try from Colin Goudie and a penalty by Graham Wilson, but Diez stroked over another three pointer for a 23-8 interval lead.

Further scores by Grant Anderson and Robbie Fergusson early in the second half sealed the win and the bonus point butthe home side finished strongly and claimed a consolation score when Robin Cessford crossed the whitewash and Goudie added the conversion.

Scorers: Heriot’s: Tries – Goudie, Cessford. Pen – Wilson. Ayr: Tries – Dunning, Stewart, Anderson, Fergusson. Cons – Diez (2). Pens: Diez (3).

Heriot’s: C Goudie, M Learmonth, C Ferguson, C Mark, A Scott, S Hidalgo-Clyne, G Wilson, A Dymock, K Bryce, G Cameron, C Osazuwa, R Martin, J Hill, M Reid, S Dewar. Subs: S Mustard, JP Ward, R Cessford, R Tran, J Kohn.

Ayr: G Anderson, S Manning, R Curle, M Stewart, S Diez, R Fergusson, AJ MacFarlane, G Reid, H Wisniewski, A Kelly, J Dunning, C White, J Willis, A Dunlop, G Fisken. Subs: C Davidson, S Sutherland, A MacFarlane, C Taylor, M Beckwith.

Referee: C Rudkin