Paisley travelled thin on the ground for a number of reasons, some reasonable, others less so and faced a Cartha team with only thirteen men. Given Paisley were two men over and orders on how to use that advantage, should have reflected the score line, but it didn’t. The home team were better in every position and more offensive with ball in hand, but the scores at the end were, it has to be said somewhat inflated, with the home scrum getting away with murder all day long.

Paisley also received short change for good mauling, being pulled down on every occasion and normally these things come and go, but from every free infringement the home team capitalised with a try in the next phase. That said, the anchor men showed very little mettle on the day and deserved the result in the end. A lack of communication and more than a few shirked tackles highlighting a number of pressing needs for the Colts Coaching Staff.

Cartha pressed their intentions from the start and broke the line with ease with four tries in 15 minutes when a moment of rugby initiative washed over Callum Winters who decided he was up for an intercept to run the length of the field for Paisleys first try. The second followed fairly quickly and the Cartha 10 was unfortunate not to be credited with a held up ball, so Thomas Craig took the plaudits for the touch down. Cartha came again for another two before the break in a period of evenness between the two outfits.

Half Time: Cartha QP 36 – 12 Paisley Colts

The second half started flat and remained so for the visitors and left the coaching staff with even less hair when an injury forced the Paisley hooker off and scrums uncontested, but it made little difference. Cartha scored a further four tries which were all converted with Paisley rarely threatening a riposte.

Players and Coaches can talk ‘til the cows come home about whether or not Cartha should be in the development League and it was with little hesitation when the 60 point mark was passed and 7 minutes remaining on the clock that the full time whistle be blown.

Full Time: Cartha 64 – 12 Paisley

MOTM was a difficult decision for all the wrong reasons, but Calum Orr did his level best against an excellent opposite number, led by example in defence and kicked superbly, well done.