TENNENT’S PREMIERSHIP

MARR 61 ABERDEENGRAMMAR 7

This game was over as a contest by the 14th minute with the home side having already secured the four-try bonus point via touchdowns by Colin Sturgeon, Jack Scott, captain Conor Bickerstaff and Ollie Rossi, writes David Barnes.

The Fullarton men had gone through a minor wobble during their previous two outings – being held to a draw at home to Edinburgh Accies and then only just scraping past Glasgow Hawks last weekend – but this was an impressive return to form by the league-leaders.

Grammar – who have been hit by injuries and other unavailablities recently – rallied briefly and Tom Aplin had the moment of the match when he intercepted deep inside his own 22 and ran the length, but Marr were soon back on the front foot with Greg Montgomery and Scott Bickerstaff adding to the hosts’ account before the break.

The second half started as the first had ended with Montgomery claiming his second, and a flurry of converted tries by Sturgeon and Fraser Grant around the hour mark took Marr over the 60-point mark, but to Grammar’s credit they kept battling to the end.

“The first 20 minutes in particular were excellent,” said delighted Marr head coach Craig Redpath. “We came out with real tempo and a few things we had worked on came to fruition.

“After half-time, it was just a wee bit nuggety,” he added. “We didn’t stick to our processes. But I’ve said all season that if we reach our peak then we’d take a lot of points off a team and we played about 75 per cent there. I still think there are a few things we are leaving out there at the moment, and I think we got a wee bit individualistic instead of doing things that we did well in the first half – but overall we’re very happy.”

Ali O’connor of Grammar was philosophical: “They stuck in well and by and large came away with some credit despite the scoreline being what it was,” he said.