Ayr throw win away at death
Big game strikers were missing
or the home team made a simple mistake which halted all momentum.
Indeed, on a perfect late summer day in perfect conditions, Ayr seemed to be holding a competition to see who could spill the ball in the most advantageous position.
It was from their first serious foray into Ayr territory that Boroughmuir scored their opening try as Jordon Edmonds was on the end of a slick piece of handling to put Sean Crombie scuttling over for Chris Laidlaw to convert.
It wasn’t so much that Ayr hit back four minutes later, just that they got going in the ‘ Muir 22 without making a simple error.
And when Scott Sutherland won the ball on the ground, it was switched right and Cammy Taylor straightened the line to send Haddon McPherson in at the corner.
With all their recognised kickers missing, the fact that David Armstrong’s kick missed hardly elicited a groan from the crowd but there can be no doubt that with eight points going abegging during the game, many at Millbrae cannot wait for the fitness clearance of Frazier Climo.
For about 20 minutes from that 16th minute try, Ayr huffed and puffed but the crafty ‘ Muir defence, led admirably by Andy Rose, soaked up any threat then on the counter attack, forced Ayr into conceding a penalty 26 metres out which Laidlaw could have slotted with his eyes shut.
A final chance of the half fell to Ayr but again they were turned over for the visitors to clear.
Opening the second- half with more spills than a leaky oil well, Ayr allowed Magnus Bradbury to take play to their line and although they defended desperately, when the ball was switched wide right, fullattacks back Craig Marshall cantered in.
As the final quarter loomed, Richard Dalgleish injected some much needed pace into the Ayr attack and put the versatile Taylor, who had moved from the wing to full- back after Anderson’s withdrawal, over for try number two.
Armstrong converted and a real slugfest developed over the next 10 minutes before an Ali Price kick took Ayr to five metres from the ‘ Muir line where they made the most of the field position with a Blair McPherson try which, with Armstrong’s conversion, took Ayr into a four point lead with four minutes left.
The least said about this the better as Ayr failed to protect the re- start, put themselves under immense pressure and finally with Cal Davies’ try and Laidlaw’s conversion, saw the lead and the points vanish.