Endrick maintain promotion charge

Fintry side withstand pressure from Lenzie

Strathendrick withstood a second-half comeback from their near neighbours Lenzie to keep up their BT West LeagueTwo promotion charge on Saturday with a 30-24 victory.

After a break of nine weeks, Endrick at last had a game at Fintry and with their earlier encounter in September ending in the narrowest of wins for Strathendrick, both sides anticipated another hard game. They were right about that. The home side made a lively start and their pressure paid off after only five minutes when the visitors were penalised just outside their 22 and Kyle Campbell kicked a penalty.

He was soon adding conversion points to a James Thomson try to gibve them an early 10-0 lead.

Lenzie came back with an interception try and what had been a well-contested match became even more intense with frquent stoppages for treatment.

Endrick still had a territorial advantage but only eight minutes of the half remained when Campbell kicked a second penalty and in the last play of the half, Murray Calderwood picked up from a scrum and casually strolled over. Campbell kicked the extras to give Endrick an apparently winning 20-5 lead at the break.

The visitors had a totally different view on the final score and inside 10 minutes of the resumption, the 15-point lead had frittered away to one as Lenzie landed two converted tries.

The Fintry men refused to panic and midway through the half a good handling move gave James Ogilvy an opening and he responded with a typically powerful break that took him over for Endrick’s third try.

Campbell’s kick put Endrick seven points ahead but Lenzie responded with another good break to score in the corner.

The conversion was missed but the visitors were again within a single score of taking the lead.

Lenzie were going for the win when they dropped the ball and Campbell kicked downfield to relieve the pressure. He raced several opponents for the ball and managed to hack ahead and as the ball neared the dead-ball line, Campbell, a teammate and three Lenzie defenders all pounced to create a situation that the latest goal-line technology might not even have solved and the referee signalled ‘no score’.

It was the only decision possible but it was a near thing.

The game continued, Endrick defended stubbornly, and seven minutes from the end when one of their less frequent attacks was halted illegally, Campbell kicked another penalty to make the final score 30-24 for Endrick.

The win keeps Endrick well in touch with the leaders and Lenzie at least took two bonus points from a hard game.

Endrick: Black; Carswell, Graham, North, McEachern; Campbell, Doyle; O’Connell, Gibson, Scott, Calderwood, Gourlie, Ogilvy, Beaumont and Thomson. Replacements: Cuthbertson, Arnott, Rae and Forsyth.

On Saturday Endrick are away to Strathaven in a league match, kickoff 2pm while the 2nds are also at Strathaven.