EK optimism proves badly misplaced

Feb 4 2009 by Paul Thomson, East Kilbride News

EAST Kilbride suffered their biggest loss of this season’s league campaign, going down by seven tries to one at undefeated league leaders Howe of Fife.

While EK achieved parity up front, the Cupar side possessed a backline as slick as EK have encountered for some time, and the visitors could not live with the pace they generated.

The home side played with the slope and the elements for the first 40 minutes and although they built up a 22-0 lead, East Kilbride were confident of being able to mount an onslaught on the tally when the sides turned round.

Unfortunately, within the first minute of the second half EK had gone even further behind when Bertie Blackwood’s clearing kick was charged down and Howe scored their fourth try.

There was to be no return for EK from this setback and the task became one of maintaining dignity – an undertaking made more difficult with player-coach Fraser Stott spending 10 minutes on the sidelines for his alleged use of agricultural language in insisting to the referee that a Howe player was once again offside.

For a team on the edge of the relegation fight travelling to face the league leaders on their own patch EK were undaunted, and they approached this match with confidence in sufficient supply to leave them disappointed at the final score.

Positives on the day were entirely up front, with the pack unbowed by an old-fashioned farming unit, and it was appropriate that the only EK try went to Paul Rosie, who doubled his career total.

On the down side, the backs were completely outplayed, both in attack, where they rarely bothered the home line, and in defence, where they offered little resistance.

It is true that the Howe of Fife backline contains a number of junior internationalists whom the club will do well to hold on to, but that does not excuse EK’s comprehensive inability to put the ball carrier down.

This week, snow permitting, second bottom Cambuslang visit Torrance House for a critical encounter, which will have the threat of relegation writ large all over it.

TEAM: 1. Miller, 2. Aitken, 3. Perry, 4. Dalgleish, 5. Rosie, 6. Anderson (captain), 7. Timmons, 8. Bruce, 9. Stott, 10. B Blackwood, 11. O'Rogers, 12. Simpson, 13. Seymour, 14. MacDonald, 15. Little.

Replacements: (all used) Watt, Kampman and Shankie.

l Elsewhere, the reserves were also up against the top side in their division, but the result when Greenock Wanderers visited Torrance House was in marked contrast to that of the senior side, as EK ran out comfortable 27-7 victors.

With their mobile pack producing plenty of good ball, and the powerful Grubby Blackwood at stand-off eschewing the option to pass or kick, EK held all the aces.

There were tries for man of the match, Dave Rosie Jnr – matching his little brother in the first team – for Ross McQueen and for Blackwood, with the last mentioned kicking with surprising aplomb to pick up the remaining points.