Endrick now one win from glory

Hosts go on attack to end Paisley’s hopes

Strathendrick .................. 20 Paisley ............................... 0 Strathendrick kept up their BT West League 2 promotion bid and ended Paisley’s with a win at Fintry on Saturday.

The visitors knew that only a win would keep them in the hunt and that set up an exciting afternoon.

Both sides were committed to attack from the start, with Endrick perhaps holding a slight edge.

But after half an hour nobody had managed to break through – indeed no-one had missed a tackle on either side.

It changed when Ewan MacKay won the ball and slipped it to Scott Ross who then broke no fewer than four tackles in an exhilarating run to the line for the opening try.

Kyle Campbell added the extra points to put Endrick 7-0 ahead. Within a minute the home support’s glee was somewhat abated when a clash as two players jumped for the ball resulted in the Endrick player involved getting a yellow card.

But in the remaining minutes of the half Endrick’s 14 had more of the ball than Paisley’s 15 and comfortably held on to their lead.

The second half started with Endrick pushing further ahead with a brace of Campbell penalties and with half an hour left, they were 13-0 up.

Paisley made a big effort to get back into the game but Endrick were more than their match in organisation and mobility.

With 10 minutes left, a second Endrick player was yellow carded but again the 14 men proved up to the task and they extended their lead with a try from Murray Calderwood, converted by Campbell. Endrick: Greenock, Ross, North, Christie, McLaughlin, Campbell, Doyle, Gibson, MacEachern, Scott, MacKay, Campbell, Nixon, Ogilvy and Callander. Subs: Doug Beaumont, Calderwood, Connor, Duff, Forsyth, Moore and O’Connell.

Tomorrow (Saturday) Endrick travel to Kilmacolm to play bottom of the table Birkmyre in a match which starts at 3pm. They then face the same opposition at Fintry on Wednesday in a match kicking off at 7.30pm.

A win in either of these will guarantee a finish in one of the top two places.