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Rams’ Resurgence Arrested By Police

Published on 23 October 2006 at 19:24:00

Strathclyde Police 24 Moffat 6

On a day when the Glasgow weather threw everything it could at both players and spectators , the young Moffat team eventually wilted under the pressure applied somewhat ruthlessly by the more streetwise men from the Constabulary.

The early exchanges gave little indication as to the final outcome as the Moffat side roared into action and drew first blood with a penalty from the boot of Kevin Jack.  The travelling Moffat support were kept up to date with the events on the pitch by the running commentary emanating from Strathclyde's very own ‘Foghorn Leghorn' and by the end of what turned into a dour affair, this was possibly the most entertaining aspect of the 80 minutes!

The early score from the Rams had the same impact as the proverbial poke in the eye as the home side retaliated swiftly with a slick attack. Treating the slippery conditions with disdain the home side built a lovely platform for a handling move taking the ball the width of the pitch for a try on the left wing. Insult was added to injury as the five points became seven.

The Moffat side for the day saw Graham Gemmill at full back with Mattie Kerr and Calum Jardine completing the back three who tackled themselves to a standstill throughout the afternoon.  The starting centre pairing saw Kevin Jack and Gordon Dinwoodie paired against two extremely talented centres and again the majority of their day was spent tackling or, on the occasions when possession came their way, being hit very hard indeed.  However, the somewhat laboured passing and predictable lines of running gave the home team a fairly easy time in defence and if any lesson needs to be taken from this game it is that the Rams need to work on a more incisive approach to their back play.  On the positive side, the Rams did have a lot of possession with the half back pairing of Liam Ogilvie and Michael Lockhart having plenty of chances to set their three quarters running.

The pack performed some minor miracles against a significantly heavier pack with hooker Stuart Galloway once again nicking half a dozen against the head, ably assisted by his props Craig Currie and the ever versatile Clint Smith.  Lineout ball a-plenty was won by Matt Wennington and Alan Tyler up to the point at which the ‘Polis' twigged that the referee would let them jump across the line with impunity, and the Rams were unable to respond as this hitherto rich vein of possession dried up.  In the loose, Bob Drennan and Kenny Carter put themselves on the line continually in an effort to stem an increasing flow from the ranks of the ‘ boys in blue', or to be more accurate Brown as by the end of the game the two sides were so clarted in dubs that they were virtually indistinguishable.

But try as they did, and even with some serious possession, the Rams could not break into the game.  A couple of missed penalties, one of which struck the post, kept the Rams firmly in second place and another swift handling move by the Glasgow team saw another converted try stretch the lead to 14-3.   A second Jack penalty before half-time was scant reward for the heart and effort shown by the Rams as captain Jamie MacDowall tried to rally the troops.  The fact that half-time arrived when the referee blew for a penalty raised a few eyebrows and the official came under further scrutiny as he proceeded with a few bizarre decisions the last of which was even greeted with hoots of derision from the massed ranks of Strathclyde's support!

The Moffat subs Renwick, Murray and a trialist were used in rotation as coach Andy Ferguson rang changes in position and personnel in a bid to outwit the cunning of their hosts.  An indication of the amount of possession gained by the Rams was the number of penalties they were awarded, but unfortunately three more kickable efforts were missed and the gap remained.  To add insult to injury the final act of the game, following a period of about 25 minutes when very little happened, was the award of a try to Strathclyde following a sustained period of great attacking countered by superb Moffat defence.

The Strathclyde team besieged the Rams line and, as the home flanker was driven into touch through the corner flag, the referee asked the advice of the home touch judge who bizarrely awarded a try from his ‘neutral' viewpoint.  This was such a major error that the home and away support were united in their condemnation of the decision and opted to head for the bar!  Hospitality Glasgow style was then laid on by the hosts as everyone tucked into a culinary delight consisting of Chargrilled Mouton in a case of Filou Pastry topped with Haricot Orange in a Tomato Jus; burnt Pie and Beans to you and me!

From the Rams' coach's perspective this was certainly a game from which to take heart: " That was really a fantastic effort in difficult conditions and the score just doesn't reflect the run of play" said coach Ferguson after the game. "Our talented young players really took the game to them, but they are a physical and streetwise outfit and that told in the end.  However, we must keep persevering for we are gathering experience all the time and things still look good for the future".

So, all in all not a poor performance by the Rams and a real team effort, sticking to the task in adversity, and given a couple of breaks the result could have been much closer.  The Rams have a chance to get back to winning ways next week when Moffat's BT Cup run continues with a home tie against Strathclyde University, when your anonymous scribe will probably be demoted back to janitorial and burger duties.

Moffat:  G Gemmill, C Jardine, K Jack, G Dinwoodie, M Kerr, M Lockhart, L Ogilvie, C Smith, S Galloway, C Currie, A Tyler, J McDowall(C), K Carter, M Wennington, R Drennan. Replacements: A Murray, S Renwick, Trialist.