Ayr snatch late victory over Borougmuir with late kick

A host of players with professional experience have signed for clubs and that has added further quality to a competition that delivered rugby of a high standard last time. And, if this is a sign of things to come, it may be a tense few months for coaches, but it promises to be an enthralling experience for spectators.

Ayr coach Callum Forrester admitted that the performance had fallen short of the level he demands of his players. However, he was delighted to record a win at a ground where Ayr have struggled in recent seasons.

“That was a get out of jail card,” he said before suggesting his men will improve. “We’ve got a few more levels to hit,” he added.

And of the skills that he anticipates coming to the fore as the season unfolds, he said: “There are a lot of quality players playing in the BT Premiership. We don’t celebrate our brand enough. It’s a good level and it’s only going to get better.”

His counterpart Peter Wright, pictured, knows that, with all fixtures likely to be tight, his men must shake off the habit of losing close matches.

“It’s a game we probably deserved to win and just didn’t do it. We had a chance to close it out. We turned them over on the line with a couple of minutes to go and we kicked the ball away when we should have just kept it,” he said.

“We have to be thinking, not that we got two points but thinking that was a disaster. We want to be champions. We want to compete at that top level,” he said.

Boroughmuir were guilty last season of losing encounters they should have won. And this was another that could be consigned to that category – albeit Ayr earned their reward for refusing to accept defeat.

The home side had the better of the first 40 minutes and they led 14-7 at half-time through tries by Mark Hare and Johnny Adams, both converted by Chris Laidlaw. Frazier Climo hauled Ayr back into the game with a self- converted touchdown just before the break. And the visitors cut the gap to two points with a Blair MacPherson try early in the second half.

The game developed into an open contest as Cal Davies claimed the third home try, with Laidlaw again converting, before Ayr struck back with Climo and David Armstrong bagging a score apiece, the latter converted by Scott Lyle to give the visitors a three-point lead. Back came the hosts with Hare’s second converted score. That roused the visitors into a strong finish and Lyle slotted a penalty before Climo snatched victory with a drop-goal.