Cambus suffer late heartbreak
Cambuslang kicked out of West Regional Shield
It was a painful start to the new season for Cambuslang Rugby Club on Saturday afternoon.
The club’s first game of the season saw them fall 25-24 to Annan in a West Regional Shield match, with the winning points coming from a penalty in the last minute.
Plucky Cambus had fought back from a 22-0 half-time deficit to take a 24-22 lead with just five minutes to play.
However, having snatched the lead the team just couldn’t hold on for the win, with Annan’s Jonny Callaghan coolly converting the winning kick to break Cambus hearts.
Cambuslang will now turn their attention to the league campaign, which starts on September 1 away to East Kilbride.
Cambuslang ....... 24 Annan ................. 25 Cambuslang are out of the West Regional Shield after a second half fightback couldn’t save the day against Annan.
Familiarity might be breeding contempt between these sides, given that they played in the final two games of the previous season, with a 42-10 win for Annan followed by a 22-12 win for Cambuslang that ensured survival.
Despite a lot of early Cambus pressure, it was Annan who scored all the first half points.
With eight minutes played scrum half Harry Houldey scored the opening try and Josh Whiteside converted, followed by further tries for Neal Coupland and Sean Haren, before a fourth try made it 22-0 at halftime.
Thankfully Cambuslang were much improved in the second half.
With substitute forwards coming off the bench, Cambuslang’s scrummaging improved and a converted Euan Jones try in the 53rd minute got Cambuslang on the board.
James McLaren added another one on 65 minutes, and almost instantly the gap was down to three points when Louis Senter scored.
When Chad McGlame scored with five minutes left, it seemed Cambuslang had pulled off a great escape.
However missed conversions on two of the tries came back to haunt the Coat’s Park men.
A late penalty was converted by Jonny Callaghan to ensure the Cambuslang fightback was all for naught.