Having enjoyed a successful start to 2018 East Kilbride travelled to Maybole knowing that victory over current league leaders, Carrick, would give them an outside chance of promotion to the national leagues. Carrick scored four tries, two in each half to gain a try bonus while EK could manage only three penalty conversions. It was Carrick, therefore, that kept their chances of promotion very much alive while EK will have to bide another season in West Division 1.

The game kicked off at 12.45 p.m. to enable players and spectators to watch Scotland’s game in Wales on TV. This did take some EK supporters by surprise as the SRU web-site had given a KO time of 3 p.m.!

The game opened with Carrick attacking the EK line, an attack that was repelled and saw EK return the play to Carrick’s end of the pitch. The deadlock was broken when, after 28 minutes, the ball moved swiftly along the Carrick back line to their pacey left wing who ran in from around 30 metres. The score-line was reduced to 5-3 three minutes later when EK were awarded a penalty converted by Calum Blackwood. Carrick were to score again from a sustained attack on the EK goal line. The try was converted this time making the score Carrick 12 – EK 3. With 5 minutes of the half left the Carrick scrum half was yellow carded. EK went on the attack but the Carrick defence held firm leaving the score-line unchanged.

The pattern of play in the second half was quite similar to that of the first with both teams demonstrating a willingness to carry the ball to the opposition. Penalties in the 16th and 25th minutes of the second half, converted by Calum Blackwood, brought EK close and it took two late tries (28th & 33rd minutes), a second from their left wing and another following forward pressure on the EK line to give Carrick a comfortable victory.

Although Carrick achieved a comfortable victory EK were far from outplayed. The forwards drove strongly in the set piece, comfortable on their own line-out where young Ben McLean, jumped and caught with aplomb. When attacking the Carrick line the ball was taken and recycled effectively. What EK did not do was breach a very robust Carrick defence and although it was the home team that claimed the victory with four tries it was their defence that really was the difference between the two sides. Neither Paul Rosie nor Scott Shankie who can normally be relied upon to make big carries and shrug off defenders managed to do so as effective cover snuffed out their attempts to move the ball up the field. Mark Ellison with his jinky running did manage to make ground but more often out of defence than in attack. From an East Kilbride perspective it was good to see Ian Brown return as a replacement on the left wing. Injury has kept him out of the game for a season and a half. We wish him well and hope that this will be the first of many appearances.

Though marshalled effectively by Carrick’s defence for his commitment and determination throughout the 80 minutes EK man of the match goes to Scott Shankie.

Team: A, Stott, M. Ellison, C. Ferguson, R. Greenfield & G. Haggerty. C. Blackwood & R. Murray. C. McLellan, R. Anderson, E. Beaton, B. McLean, P. Rosie, C. Hastie, A. Irvine & S. Shankie.

Replacements: I. Brown, A. Steel & A. Dalgleish

It’ll be a busy day at Torrance House next Saturday (10th February). The game between an EK XV and visitors, Club Olympique Châlonnais kicks off at 12 noon and it will be followed by a West Division 1 game against Greenock which will kick off at 3 p.m.