Watsonians 17 - 52 Ayr: Ayr on track for title with Watsonians demolition

Ayr had too much all round firepower for Watsonians in Saturday's top versus bottom Premiership clash at Myreside and the Millbrae men remain firmly on track to regain the Premiership title they surrendered to Currie last season.

While Ayr coach Kenny Murray has every right to feel confident in the club's short term future, with several absentees set to return as the title race moves towards the business end, he also saw grounds for optimism further on the horizon.

Murray pointed to the presence of only two foreign players, stressing his view that Ayr are often unfairly criticised for importing success, although it was the burgeoning talent in a youthful back division that drew the most positive comments from the coach.

"The best try of the day for me was the last one because it was three 17 year olds - Robbie Fergusson, Mark Bennett and Murray Beckwith", he said.

That score was number eight for the visitors who had dominated for most of the game but had been matched in spells by a Watsonians side that produced occasional glimpses of their potential. Indeed, when their coach Marcus Di Rollo pores over his recording of the game, he will again see a side brimming with commitment and competent in most facets, but currently unable to compete for 80 minutes.

Only in flurries did the hosts pose a sustained threat to the opposition line.

However, the league leaders were always in control having raced into a 26-0 lead and secured the four try bonus point after 33 minutes. Gordon Reid, Damien Kelly, Dougie Steele and Andy Wilson all touched down during that period and Ross Curle added three conversions.

The hosts dominated the rest of the first half and clawed their way back into the match with tries from back row men Harris Grant and Sergiu Ursache.

The interval interrupted the Watsonians momentum and gave Murray an opportunity some straight talking with his players.

"We got to 26-0 up and I think they thought they were on Easy Street," said Murray. "It doesn't matter if you are playing the team at the top of the league or the team at the bottom, they will hurt you if you switch off.

"At half time, we spoke about tightening up the game and trying to be a bit more clinical."

His promptings had an immediate impact and Dean Stewart squeezed over for try number five within three minutes of the restart.

And, despite a converted score by Dan Gorman for Watsonians that gave them an ultimately fruitless glimmer of a bonus point and sparked their best period of the game, Ayr ratcheted the pace up a further notch to chalk up three more tries.Robbie Colhoun claimed the first of that trio and Andy Dunlop snaffled ball in midfield before racing in for the penultimate score then Robbie Fergusson and Mark Bennett combined to send their fellow teenager Murray Beckwith in for the concluding score after a scintillating length of the field move.

Scorers: Watsonians: Tries Grant, Ursache, Gorman. Con Forbes. Ayr: Tries Reid, Kelly, Steele, Wilson, Stewart, Colhoun, Dunlop, Beckwith. Cons Curle (6)

Watsonians: A Nash, J Forbes, D Brown, C Sorbie, A Killerby, R Aitken, J Blackwood, S Laird, N Hart, K Coertze, D Seed, D Gorman, S Ursache, A Porter, H Grant. Subs Used: A Skeen, C Owenson, D Moussa, H Gee, M Ker

Ayr: D Steele, C Taylor, M Bennett, R McCallum, A Wilson, R Curle, AJ MacFarlane, G Reid, P McArthur, S Fenwick, D Stewart, D Kelly, R Colhoun, A Dunlop, G Tippett. Subs Used: G Sykes, S Nimmo, S Adair, R Fergusson, M Beckwith

Referee: J Matthews.