Perthshire Rugby Club lose 13-11 to Morgan

Dec 11 2009 by Alison Lowson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

Perthshire 11

Morgan 13

UNBELIEVABLY, this is the fifth time this season that Shire have been beaten by a couple of points in the closing minutes.

The team can take consolation in that, apart from possibly Hillhead, they have never been outplayed by any other team in the league.

It’s surely just a matter of time before the tide turns and the wins materialise.

It is not all down to bad luck though, as poor decision making has cost them dear and Morgan capitalised on a couple of them which indirectly led to six points being given away.

Shire must learn to clear their lines first and foremost and make sure that play is taken away from the danger area in their own half.

The omens did not look good for the Eagles when captain Ali Anderson was unable to start the game due to injury.

Jack Steele was also ruled out due to tonsillitis.

Callum Mackinnon had a thigh strain and Zeke Bowater was in Africa so Shire had to make a few enforced changes.

Even worse was to happen in the first minute of the game when Wayne Matson was carted off the field.

Some of the more cynical Shire worthies thought it to be too much of a coincidence that they lost their most prolific points scorer when he was tackled after his first touch of the ball, especially as the same thing happened to young Graeme Clow in the first game.

The conditions underfoot were very wet and it was certainly a day when a master kicker like Manson was desperately missed although Rory Carmichael, in only his second game this season, grew into the game as it progressed and showed his undoubted class.

He kicked Shire into the lead after a late tackle was penalised but Kiddie grabbed one back for Morgan to even the scores at half -time.

Play swung back and forward as both teams tried to assert themselves and it became clear that it was going to take something special to separate them.

The breakthrough came when a superbly flighted cross-field kick from Clow was plucked out of the air by Erlend Oag and the young winger sprinted 60 metres before being clawed down just short of the line.

But his momentum carried him over for a brilliantly worked try.

Morgan camped on the Shire line trying to get a score but a free kick to Shire should have given the home team the perfect opportunity to relieve the pressure.

But instead they tried to run it from their 22 and lost possession.

Morgan won a penalty and Kiddie did the necessary to bring his team right back into contention.

Carmichael stretched Shire's lead with five minutes to go but Morgan delivered the killer blow just after this when loose head Clark barged over in the corner.

There seemed no way that Kiddie would convert the difficult kick from the touch line but Morgan's cheers and Shire's gasps greeted the fine kick as it sailed over to give them the narrowest of victories.

Shire now need to regroup and travel to Hamilton with a will to win.

They must now win games the hard way and a trip to Hamilton is not the easiest of ways of going about it.

But this is a highly talented team and, with a bit of added steel, continuation of the recent winning run is not too far away.

The 2nd XV continued their winning ways with a great win over Foresters and both teams will travel together to Hamilton for a double header.

The bus will leave the clubhouse at 10.45am tomorrow.