Match report: Birkmyre v Wigtownshire

Birkmyre 5 – 31 Wigtownshire
Arnold Clark West Division 2

Birkmyre opened their league campaign with a home defeat to Wigtownshire on Saturday in the Arnold Clark West Division 2.

It was always going to be a tough test against the side that had come down from Division 1 at the end of last season.

It didn’t take the visitors long to take the lead. They collected a Birkmyre goal line drop out on the half way mark. Positive play from their backs saw them drive into the 22. They then came back inside and exploited a hole in the Birkmyre defence. The try under the posts was converted.

Wigtownshire doubled their lead 5 minutes later. From an attacking scrum inside the Birkmyre 22, their 10 ran an attacking line. He was met by two defenders however managed to offload in the tackle for their inside centre to score under the posts. There was a further score before half time however Birkmyre finished the half strongly with a period of sustained pressure. Unfortunately, they could not convert this to points.

The second half was far more even with the game ebbing & flowing for the first 20 minutes. However, the visitors then extended their lead, exploiting another hole in the Birkmyre defence to run in unopposed from 25m out. This time the conversion was missed.

Birkmyre continued to fight and finally got on the score sheet with 15 minutes left. Skipper, Ross Moglia, collected the ball from the edge of a ruck and powered through from 10m out.

Wigtownshire, however, finished the game off with their 5th, and bonus point try in style. Winning a line out just inside their half, they moved the ball wide.

Breaking a tackle on the halfway line, they worked the ball down the wing for the final score.

The match ended 31-5 to the visitors. Birkmyre will now be looking to pick up their first victory of the season on the road to Carrick this Saturday.

All photos – credit: Fiona Wallace