Scottish are happy to win ugly through Lydon’s boot

LONDON Scottish played the night time conditions to perfection to win in dominant fashion thanks to the boot of full-back Peter Lydon.

The former Stade Francais man was nerveless with his left peg and knocked over 23 points from the tee, that along with Jason Harries’ try pushed Scots to within touching distance of the play-off places.

Scottish head coach Peter Richards said: “We had a game plan for the first half and 38 minutes in we were 22-0 up and we executed it perfectly.

“We’ve played three Friday night games in a row and it’s not about pretty rugby it’s about effective rugby. I thought we kicked very, very well and chased very hard and got our rewards.”

It has been an undulating season for Scottish but they hit their stride quickly and were 19 points ahead after 20 minutes.

Lydon kicked four penalties and converted Harries’ try and when Ealing did finally work their way to the Scottish line fly-half Aaron Penberthy muddled his chip badly. They weren’t helped either by a yellow card for Joe Munro.

The centre returned to the fray just as Lydon was knocking over his fifth penalty, but Scottish themselves went down to 14 when ex-Ealing flanker Danny Kenny was sinbinned for a late challenge on Penberthy.

Tighthead Ewan McQuillin joined Kenny in the bin as Ealing’s pack won a scrum penalty try on the stroke of half-time that, along with Penberthy’s conversion offered the visitors some respite at the break.

It didn’t last for long though as Lydon opened the second half with his fifth penalty, but Ealing hit back soon after by driving Alun Walker over from a lineout.

Lydon’s seventh penalty kept Scottish’s noses ahead and from then on his siege gun left boot was used to keep Ealing pinned in their own half.

For Ealing it was a wretched night when very little went right and the result leaves them looking over their shoulder as the likes of Nottingham, Doncaster Knights and possibly even Scottish themselves close in on third place.

“You can’t give away 19 points in the first 20 minutes and expect to win,” Ealing director of rugby Ben Ward said.

“We gave them too many chances with penalties early on and our intensity and accuracy was nowhere near where it needed to be.”