Stirling County 33,
Boroughmuir 6
''AT least we'll have the best match programme in the second
division,'' a Stirling County committee man joked before his side's
crucial encounter with Boroughmuir, but in truth neither he nor most
informed observers expected Stirling to lose and thus make an
undignified return to the lower ranks.
A clue to this confidence could be gleaned from the programme itself,
which confirmed Boroughmuir to be without Derek Stark, Murry Walker,
Stuart Reid, and other first-team luminaries.
Surprisingly, though, on a cold and gloomy afternoon, it was the
visitors who took an early lead through a Bruce Reekie penalty goal.
Stirling's Mark McKenzie made amends midway in the half when he
fashioned a break from just inside the Boroughmuir half and ducked and
weaved his way to the line to put his team in front. Although he missed
the conversion, the pressure was off the home side and they proceeded to
put Boroughmuir to the sword in some style.
McKenzie put Stirling 8-3 ahead with a huge dropped goal. After the
interval the stand-off made it 11-3 with an easy penalty goal before
Boroughmuir conceded what is probably the first 10-point try in Scottish
rugby. Scrum half Ally Blues dived over for a score in 50 minutes, and
McKenzie converted. The game restarted with a penalty to Stirling on the
halfway line, and Kenny Logan kicked the home side further ahead. It
transpired that Boroughmuir hooker Barry Brown had offered the referee,
Kenny Harrower, a forthright opinion on his ability to officiate.
Kevin McKenzie and Kenny Logan rounded off the scoring for County with
tries which Mark McKenzie converted, Reekie responding with a late
penalty goal for the visitors.
Stirling County -- K M Logan; A S M Turner, J Wright, I C Jardine, R A
Mailer; M McKenzie, A Blues; J T Gibson, K D McKenzie, G B Robertson, M
Norval, J S Hamilton, D McVey, D Elliot, J Brough. Replacement: C Brown
for Hamilton (59 min.).
Boroughmuir -- D McCrae; C Gillan, C J Finnie, S R P Lineen, R D
Smith; B Reekie, M D Hall; G D Wilson, C B Brown, P H Wright, P T
Jennings, G Torrance, A Nisbett, D Wharton, D G Burns. Replacement -- K
Wilson for Burns (64 min.).
Referee -- K Harrower (Forrester).
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