IRVINE 14...STEWARTRY... 38
Tennent's West Division One
Irvine suffered an all too familiar second half collapse as they began the new decade with defeat against second top Stewarty, writes Jim O'Neill.
Having ended 2019 by running leaders Kilmarnock close, there was high hopes for a repeat performance from the Marress men, but it was not to be.
Despite the early play all being in Stewartry’s half, in 15 minutes the visitors drove deep into the home half. Quickly tapping a penalty, they shifted the ball along the line and easily scored beneath the posts for an opening seven points.
Irvine kept putting the visitors under pressure but in the 28th minute a break out and a kick over the top led to a grubber into the corner.
The Stewartry chasers outpaced the Irvine defence to touch down in the corner.
Irvine hit back five minutes later when, after another period of home pressure, the ball went all the way along the line for Craig Williams to score in the corner.
He converted his own try from the touchline to bring Irvine right back into the match.
Trailing just 7-12 at the interval, the hosts were very much still in the game. But sadly, Irvine’s second half curse reared its ugly head again.
Five minutes into the half, a kick close to the home deadball area was carried over, leading to a five metre scrum. From the scrum, Stewartry placed the ball in the hands of their forwards and scored an easy try when their second row strolled through a gap in the centre.
As the game went into the last quarter, six missed tackles allowed the bonus point try for Stewartry, again converted.
With four minutes to go, a fifth try, scored from the 22, put the visitors out of sight with another conversion.
However, right on time, Irvine scored a consolation try when Alan Nugent drove over from short distance, again converted by Williams.
However, playing in referee’s time, Stewartry confirmed their superiority with a sixth try, converted to give a final score of Irvine 14 Stewartry 38.
This weekend, second bottom Irvine visit Torrance Lodge to play mid-table East Kilbride.
