BLAIR RACK UP TRIES IN CUP WIN

Blairgowrie’s cup run continued with a 62-7 win away at Arbroath on Saturday.

The home side got the better of Blairgowrie when the two teams last met in what was a pre-season encounter at JJ Coupar Recreation Park 15 months ago.

Blairgowrie were determined to avoid a repeat performance and continue the good form shown so far this season.

Arbroath kicked the match off and the ball was secured by Blair before Russell Edwards released a thundering Paul Douglas, supported by Al Guild, which got Blair into the opposition half.

The tempo was set and quickly Blair pushed forward, putting pressure on Arbroath before a knockon ended the play.

Blair won the resulting scrum against the head and a well-placed kick to touch from Murray Davidson kept his side moving forward.

Finlay Ormiston, with the help of lifters Mark Reddin and Peter Duncan, stole the lineout superbly and Edwards was then able to release the ball to the back line.

With the play being a bit frantic, Arbroath killed the ball – resulting in a penalty for Stephen Souter to slot home and get Blair their first three points.

Arbroath’s kick-off went straight out so a scrum was called on the centre spot.

The ball was won again by Blair and the men from east Perthshire began to put a few phases together.

Direct running from Guild, Ormiston and Black got Blair well into the Arbroath half.

Edwards passed to Fraser Maxwell and then on to Souter, who beat his man passed to Andy McOuat.

He then got the ball back and charged over from 10 yards for the first try of the day after 10 minutes. It was converted by Souter.

Blair settled into the match and continued to play good attacking rugby, with great direct running from Ormiston, Davidson and Douglas – all straightening up the attacking line and drawing in the defence.

Ormiston added to the try count with some great work, capitalising on some good combination play from Duncan and Davidson.

Souter was once again reliable with the boot.

More points were to follow when Douglas worked hard on the Arbroath 22 to fend off two defenders.

He then somehow managed to off-load a pass to McOuat and all that was left to do was run the ball in for the third try of the day. Souter once again converted.

Another poor kick-off from Arbroath led to a Blair scrum from which number eight Fin Ormiston picked up and made a 40-yard dash down the middle of the pitch.

With defenders hanging off him, he pulled off a fantastic backhand pass to the supporting McOuat who then dived over the line under the posts for his second try and Blair’s fourth.

With 33 minutes gone, and the referee having given a few warnings to the Blair players for not releasing in the tackle, the official finally had enough when prop Duncan put in a great tackle only to be yellow carded for not putting the player down safely as he had lifted him off the ground.

Changes had to be made, with hooker Jordan Lynn coming on to replace McOuat.

With a man extra, Arbroath quickly piled on pressure with successive scrums and lineouts on the Blair five-metre line.

Blair’s discipline was once again to be their downfall with another penalty conceded on the Arbroath five-metre line. The hosts quickly tapped and went, dived over and scored. The try was later converted.

With the half drawing to a close, MacRae turned over the ball and with Maxwell breaking through a couple of tackles Blair were getting close to the Arbroath line once again.

But Blair’s lack of discipline again gave Arbroath a chance to clear their lines.

However, Blair were soon on the front foot again when a loose kick from Arbroath led to McLaren finding himself in a bit of space.

He took his chance, speeding past defenders to score an excellent try in the corner.

Blair were 38-7 up at the break and the second half continued in much the same fashion, with Black brilliantly catching Souter’s kick off.

Blair’s tempo and appetite for the game was there for everyone to see and they were threatening again, although a knock on ended this particular attack.

With Duncan and McOuat back on, Guild left the field after another sterling effort.

Duncan quickly made amends for his yellow card, expertly stealing the ball back for Blair.

This resulted in a prolonged period of quality phase play from the Blair forwards and backs, with wingers Grant Knowles and Tom Helyer getting involved on several occasions.

The sustained pressure led to a Souter try.

With changes now being made it was great to see Gregor Cunningham in a Blair shirt once again.

Alan Walsh, Arran Todd and Murray Ormiston were also given a run out.

More turnovers from Duncan, Black and Douglas kept giving Blair opportunities to utilise the speed of their backs with Fin Ormiston and McLaren adding to the try tally.

A bad injury to for Arbroath led to a bit of change in tempo before Alan Walsh upped it once again with a 30-yard dash quickly followed up by some more phases of play with Cunningham controlling well at the back of the rucks.

The last try came from a lineout on the Arbroath 22.

Edwards moved the ball out before a turnover from the Arbroath forwards after some indecision.

They thundered it up only for a joint tackle by MacRae and Black to thwart progress.

Douglas was quickly in over the ball to steal it back where it went out wide left to winger Knowles, then back to the right through several sets of hands before Maxwell finished off a very well-worked try.

Squad: Peter Duncan, Alan Guild, Paul Douglas, Jordan Lynn, Alan Walsh, Mark Reddin, Andy McOuat, Neil MacRae, Fin Ormiston, Fraser Black, Gregor Cunnigham, Stephen Souter, Fraser Maxwell, John McLaren, Murray Davidson, Russell Edwards, Tom Helyer, Grant Knowles, Murray Ormiston, Arran Todd.

Man of the match points: John McLaren, Andy McOuat, Alan Walsh, Fin Ormiston (1); Stephen Souter (2); Neil MacRae (3). Top tackler: Fraser Black.

The semi-final will be played on November 28.

Blair face Morgan FPs on Saturday in the league. It’s a 2pm kick-off.