Ayr pay price for cup final injury list

Last week, I suggested that the only thing over which a coach had no control and that was injuries.

And that was shown big time on Saturday in the BT Premiership Final at the Greenyards.

Ayr coach Calum Forester admitted that “Pete McCallum and Frazier Climo are two of the first names you have on the team sheet and both were out through injuries picked up in the game against Currie.”

Those absences denied the contest the mouthwatering match up between the Ayr No8 and his opposite number Iain Moody as well as facing off Climo and the outstanding Craig Jackson although Climo’s replacement, 18- year- old ( just!).

Matt Davidson showed just what a burgeoning young talent he is for the side.

Let none of the above take away from the Melrose win but at this level, it simply shows how close the margins are.

It was Calum Forester’s last game in charge as Ayr coach and he was obviously disappointed with the result.

“Again, as so often this season, I hate to go back to it but our old issues of discipline let us down and in stupid areas of the pitch.

“We made it difficult for ourselves giving away penalties which allowed them to pin us back in our own 22.

“We have come down here in the past and dominated in the scrums so I am a bit disappointed with a few of the scrum decisions and how that area of the game unfolded since they seemed to go our way early on.”

“However, Melrose played a text book second half.

“Made it hard for us to get out of our 22 and that is how you win games.”