Greenock Telegraph | Sport | Comic strip presents...

Friday, 9th January, 2009

Published: Monday, 18th February, 2008 12:30

Comic strip presents...

By Chris Fitzgerald

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Lenzie 18, Wanderers 9

IT just gets worse for Dave McVey’s young Wanderers.

For the second time this season, Greenock’s top rugby side crashed out of cup competition to lower league opposition.

On this occasion it was to East Dunbartonshire minnows Lenzie at a bitterly cold Viewfield. Here Wanderers exited the National Bowl at the first hurdle.

After garnering a first half lead, the Greenock men conspired to chuck it away at every opportunity and, by the final whistle, the hosts had notched up a winning margin they had no right to hold.

The omens were there from the moment the two teams took to the field — a launderette kit blunder meant Wanderers had to don Lenzie’s second strip for the duration of the tie.

However, despite the aesthetic disruption, the visitors started brightly and stand-off Kevin Murray guided a penalty home from the 22 on the left to give his side some early cheer after 15 minutes.

Ant Devlin’s kicking was also aiding the Wanderers cause, his boot helping his team-mates gain good positions up the field from deep.

As half-time loomed, Lenzie’s infringements gifted Murray a carbon copy opportunity on the left and, once more, he made no mistake from the tee.

The home side tried desperately to run the ball over the line, but poor handling, and even more infringements, allowed Wanderers to clear their lines with ease.

Lenzie started the second half with renewed vigour. Sustained pressure saw Wanderers concede a penalty some 30 meters out but home stand-off Ferguson could only pull it wide.

However, Murray returned the punt upfield from hand, but could only feed it back down Ferguson’s throat. Ferguson galloped off down the left with ease, evading all comers, before supplying Chris Scott to power over the line. Only a wayward conversion prevented the hosts moving into the lead.

Lenzie began to take better shape thereafter, Ferguson’s positional kicking now finding its mark, and only a decent effort from Nick Wright prevented the hosts using this advantage to notch another try.

However, hands in the ruck from Chris Clarke allowed Lenzie to take the lead via the kicking tee instead, Ferguson banging between the posts from close range.

Murray retaliated by starting a good move from midfield, involving Kieran Smith and Calum Robb, but a high tackle from Lenzie ended the move. However, this afforded Murray the opportunity to restore the visitors’ advantage with a penalty.

From then on, the tie became a full-blooded end-to-end affair, but it was Lenzie who capitalised on their chances.

From a scrum, that weak left flank was exposed again by Chris Scott, who tore away to supply Chris Hamilton for the try. Ferguson made the conversion and rubbed salt into the wound with a penalty quickly after.

Wanderers failed to offer any further resistance and faded almost as much as those borrowed strips they were wearing.

Wanderers: A Devlin; N Wright, A Knox, K Smith, C Clarke ©; Murray, McDougall,; Coyle, A MacMichael, G Patterson, M Patterson, J Mooney; J McKenna, A Abernethy, C Robb. Replacements: M Rodger, L Scully, S Giovannacci, D Watson.

l Sponsored by National Semiconductor UK Ltd.

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