EK fail to capitalise as Garnock take win Division’s top three sides complete clean sweep
East Kilbride ....... 17 Garnock .............. 25
Richard Beaton East Kilbride Rugby Club’s strong 2018 showing suffered another hit on Saturday when they dropped their third game in a row, losing to Garnock.
To offer some mitigation this and the preceding two were against the division’s top three sides and the Kilbirnie club joined Carrick and Allan Glens in completing the double over EK, thereby accounting for six of the seven defeats across the season.
Further parallels can be drawn from this very much being a game East Kilbride could, and probably should, have won.
For the first half-hour they were the dominant side, playing controlled, aggressive and skilled rugby. The big problem was that the home side could not come to grips with how the referee was interpreting the action and consistently fell foul of his decisions.
Worse though was an ongoing refusal to accept ‘wrong’ calls, and as one or two made their feelings plain it only served to rankle further and ensure that no decisions came East Kilbride’s way.
East Kilbride’s points came from Callum Simpson and Aidan Stott tries, Ethan Aitken adding the remainder with his boot.
EK now have a two week break prior to their final game of the season, with Irvine closing the book on May 19, kick-off 3pm.
TEAM: 1. Hastie, 2. Anderson, 3. E. Beaton (c), 4. Irvine, 5. Rosie, 6. Wilson, 7. R. Beaton, 8. C. Aitken, 9. Stott, 10. Murray, 11. Hagerty, 12. Greenfield, 13. Simpson, 14. Ellison, 15. E. Aitken.
Replacements: Quin, Noble, Brown and Dryburgh.
Meanwhile, the club’s under14s were at Dunfermline at the weekend and came away with a hugely impressive 49-6 victory despite playing without a handful of key players.
With Sam Munday and the two Liams, Ralston and Kenny, dominant up front there was ball aplenty for the pacy EK backs to work with.
Tries were spread around with captain Ri Murphy and Dylan Gardiner topping the charts with a hat-trick apiece and Mark Neilson grabbing two.
A couple of the younger sets headed to Fintry for the Strathendrick tournament, with the P7 squad struggling against the customary strong opposition at this always topquality event.
Game one was a disappointment in that behind the brute force of Dylan Campbell and the finishing of Callum Russell EK led 6-4 with less than two minutes to go, only to surrender the initiative to Helensburgh and walk off with a defeat.
Without a break and against a very strong Clarkston, EK were comprehensively outplayed in game two, recording only a Simon Calderwood try in response to the six from their South Side opponents.
Glasgow High School were not any easier in game three, winning comfortably 7-2. Campbell and Callum Edwards scored in that one before EK managed to finish on a high, thumping Lenzie 9-3.
The Primary One / Two side were far more successful, recording three wins, and a draw with Clarkston, to beat the city side on tries-scored to take the trophy.
EK improved as the day progressed, going from their opening game draw to then edge their hosts 3-2, beat Lenzie 7-4 before hammering Helensburgh 6-1 to come out as top dogs.
Everyone managed a try during the day, some more than others, with Joseph Quinn top with five and Jamie Dale and Jacob Cosh on three each.
There was also a first try for Aaron Strokosch, son of EK’s most capped player (47 times for Scotland), Alasdair. Carrick Allan Glens Garnock EAST KILBRIDE Stewartry Kilmarnock Annan Greenock Wndrs Cambuslang * Irvine Oban Lorne * Helensburgh * P W L D DIF PT 20 19 1 0 66995 21 19 2 0 63393 20 18 2 0 40086 21 13 7 1 28769 22 9 12 1 12 49 20 10 10 0 6 49 18 8 10 0 -57 42 21 7 12 2 -24037 20 5 15 0 -37526 20 4 16 0 -29223 19 5 14 0 -39318 20 2 18 0 -650 2