Super6: Stirling County confirm Watsonians play-off place with dramatic late

A dramatic late try for Grant Hughes snatched victory for Stirling County over Heriot’s at the end of a hard-fought contest dominated by the monsoon conditions rather than either of the two competing teams.
Super6: Stirling set up Watsonians meeting (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)Super6: Stirling set up Watsonians meeting (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)
Super6: Stirling set up Watsonians meeting (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

The result confirms County’s place in the Super6 third and fourth place play-off against Watsonians on Saturday, October 16, and condemns Heriot’s to a shoot-out against Boroughmuir Bears that same weekend to avoid the ignominy of finishing last in this inaugural season for the league – not that it really matters because there is no promotion or relegation.

Heriot’s scored two first-half tries through captain Iain Wilson, but trailed at the break thanks to County tries from teenage second-row Max Williamson and wing Tom Roche, plus a conversion from Euan Cunningham.

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It looked like two second-half penalties from Bruce Houston in deteriorating weather conditions would be enough to see the hosts home, but Andrew Goudie’s chip kick caused disarray in the Heriot’s backfield, and Hughes capitalised.

“We don’t like making things easy for ourselves, do we?” reflected County coach Ben Cairns. “When we had the wind in the first half, we probably needed to turn around a little further ahead.

“When we kept hold of the ball we pretty much scored points and that was the chat at half-time – just keep hold and build pressure, which we didn’t really manage in the second half.

“But this is finals footy, and we are keen to finish as well as we can with our eyes on a home game for the playoff. That’s the goal.”

Watsonians host Boroughmuir Bears in the final Super6 match of the weekend at Myreside this afternoon.

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