Winning streak continues
There’s no stopping Bishopton with another resounding victory
Craig Ritchie
Bishopton’s blistering start to the new season shows no signs of stopping following a comprehensive victory over Loch Lomond.
Coming off the back of two bonuspoint wins starting the season off, Bishopton were looking to build with the trip away from Holmpark.
The match got off to a slow start with the opening 30 minutes not having either team take advantage of the possession that they were sharing, with Bishopton looking to get the ball about the park and let it do the majority of the work.
Meanwhile, Loch Lomond were looking to take the more direct route of rumbling up the middle of the park.
Both teams were swapping penalties, but it was Bishopton that took the first hit as Lomond opted to take a kick at goal on the half-hour mark.
The kick sailed through the posts to put the hosts 3-0 ahead.
But it was Bishopton that took advantage from the restart by pushing forward into the Lomond half with several runs from both the backs and forwards.
As Gary Clark latched on to the ball and drove towards the line, he was stopped just short. Ruari Taylor was quick off the mark from the back of the ruck and was able to make a dive for the line and got the ball down right on the post protector.
The conversion was picked up by Max Catto and Bishopton were out in front.
But the Bishopton fortune was not to be so lucky in the aftermath as they were soon a man down.
With Lomond on the attack, Ross McGowan looked to put in a tackle as the man offloaded the ball. But the referee deemed the tackle to have gone over the horizontal and produced the yellow card just before half time.
Moving into the second half with the man down, Bishopton were not phased and picked up an early penalty that Catto calmly slotted over to extend the lead to 3-10.
Being a man down didn’t put much pressure on the visitors and, once back up to full strength, it was the cautioned McGowan who was out to make amends.
He started off with some strong running before Bob Moore was able to take the ball into the five- meter channel.
It was worked out to Catto, who quickly moved it back to McGowan to dive for the line. Catto then took a slip on the conversion attempt, keeping the score to 3-15.
Lomond soon unravelled and Ryan Moore was next to tag on a try as the scoreboard continued to kick over.
The bonus try soon followed, as Bishopton once again were able to get back up the pitch, thanks to another penalty.
Kyle Haldane was the man to power over the line this time, with Catto having no problems with the conversion to make it 29-3.
Once again, Bish were able to build from another line-out penalty, with Clark getting onto the second-phase ball five metres out from the try line.
He went from the bottom of the ruck and was not to be stopped by a tired defence. Catto once more was on target taking the score to 3-36.
But Bishopton refused to stop there and Taylor grabbed his second try of the day with a fine run from 50 metres out.
But Lomond, feeling the weight of the final whistle, found the strength to mount one final attack to finish with a consolation try.