Cumnock senior results for Sat 28/11/09

Cumbernauld 30 Cumnock 1st xv 0

After a week’s weather enforced lay off, Cumnock returned to action against Cumbernauld this weekend.

Eerie conditions greeted them with the pitch shrouded in a thick fog. This covered the fact that the pitch was soaking wet. It was never going to be a day for running rugby.
Cumbernauld started strongly with a powerful charge from their winger straight from the kick off. He was eventually hauled down twenty metres short although Cumbernauld retained possession and continued to drive forward through their powerful forwards. Stubborn Cumnock defence kept the home side at bay with some excellent defence round the fringes of the rucks. However, every time Cumnock retrieved the ball and cleared it, Cumbernauld’s solid set piece play meant they kept the ball and continued to drive forward. It was inevitable that they would eventually drive over the line and so it proved when they released the ball wide and exploited a bit of confusion in the defence to squeeze into the corner. The conversion was missed.
The game continued in this fashion with Cumbernauld controlling the possession and slowly but surely building a solid platform. Against this Cumnock continued to defend stoically with several good hits from Graham Hunter and Jamie Thomson on the much larger forwards of Cumbernauld.
However, it is hard to keep this up for ever and Cumbernauld eventually managed to score another unconverted try as well as a penalty. Kyle Johnson missed a tricky penalty in the fog which was to prove Cumnock’s best chance to score.
Cumbernauld also added another score just before half time when their forwards drove Cumnock over the line for their third try which was converted.
The second half was even scrappier than the first, not helped by the increasingly slippy playing surface and the thick fog. The first twenty minutes of the half were characterized by endless scrums caused by handling errors from both teams, not helped by the fact that often the players couldn’t actually see the ball coming in the fog. Cumnock again struggled to impose themselves on the game with Cumbernauld keeping hold of the ball where Cumnock were able to make several good breaks but then being isolated and losing possession. However, Cumnock’s defence was again excellent with Number 8, Jamie Thomson putting in a series of consistently bone shattering tackles backed up with good hits by Scott Houston and Ross Black, making his first start for the first team.
Cumbernauld managed to eventually break through as their winger showed excellent determination to stretch for the line despite a good tackle by Conner Nisbet. The conversion was again missed.
The last few minutes were very similar to the rest of the game with Cumbernauld running hard at Cumnock’s defence although the visitors stubbornly held their line. This was characterised by an excellent try saving tackle from Martin Hastings on his opposite number which showed Cumnock’s determination not to concede despite the score line. Cumbernauld did manage one more in the corner with another missed conversion ending the match.
Despite the disappointing result Cumnock showed a lot of character in adversity as promotion chasing Cumbernauld showed their experience to play the conditions better than the young visiting side.
Jamie Thomson was Cumnock’s man of the match with an outstanding defensive effort.

Team: Craig Greer, Paul Miller, Donald Hunter, Kevin Brady, Blair McMillan, Graham Hunter, David Kerr, Jamie Thomson, Craig McWhirter, Kyle Johnson, Gregor McMillan, Mark Bennett, Conner Nisbet, Tony Foster, Ross Black, Barry Horton, Scott Houston, Martin Hastings

Next Week: Cumnock host Oban at Broomfield in the latest round of league matches.


Garnock 2A 34 Cumnock 2nd XV 0

Cumnock 2nd XV travelled upto Garnock in 2nd XV League action against the team 3rd in the league. Due to late call offs Cumnock only went up with 12 players. Garnock were very kind to give Cumnock 2 players to make it 14 players for Cumnock and 15 for Garnock.

From the kick-off all the Cumnock players moved forward very well, with some positive moves towards the home try line. Cumnock had several phases from the forwards keeping it around itself attacking the try line. Cumnock even had a try disallowed as it appeared it was held up on the try line.

Garnock took the sustained pressure from the first 20 minutes and finally started using its numerical advantage and moved up the pitch and used the overlap to score 3 tries in the first half to make it 19-0 at half time.

Cumnock started the 2nd half with more positive play and continued to have periods of play in the Garnock half. Unfortunately our hooker got injured and we had to change to uncontested scrums. Garnock again gave us another player who had been subbed to join the Cumnock team. Garnock scored another 3 tries in the 2nd half with its numerical advantage to finish the game 34-0.

The Cumnock players were all a credit to the club, who went up to Garnock. Man of the match was Jason Johnstone for his tackling, running in the backs and positional play.

Cumnock 2nd XV travels upto Waysiders/Drumpellier on Saturday 5th with 2pm kick off.

Cumnock team: A. Watt, B. Horton, B. Holland, S. Manning, M Harkin, A. Nairn, S. Taylor, J. Ferrans, K. Barr, J. Johnstone, J. Seng, M. Thomson

Cumnock 54 Braidholm 5

After having no game last weekend, Cumnock were raring to go for this cup match against Braidholm.
The visitors are currently two divisions below Cumnock but they are leading their league and fancied their chances of causing a cup upset. However, Cumnock showed some class in recording a comfortable win in difficult conditions.
It was apparent straight from the kick off that heavy rain the night before had saturated the pitch with several players losing their footing and several handling errors which normally wouldn’t happen. The home side took the initiative in the opening exchanges of the game, soaking up Braidholm’s early attempt to drive with their larger forwards before turning the ball over and clearing the ball down the pitch. Braidholm won their lineout but a poor clearance from their stand-off meant that Cumnock were able to counter attack with the ball being spread from one wing to the other. It found Tony Foster in plenty of space to race past his opposite number to score. Kyle Johnson added the conversion. Cumnock continued to press the visiting team with some exciting line breaks and handling skills on display despite the pitch.
Also impressive was the linking between backs and forwards with the forwards running good angles to punch through the defence before offloading to the backs in space. Indeed several tries could have been scored but for several handling errors, some of which could be put down to the poor conditions and some couldn’t. However, Cumnock were soon back on the score sheet when Mark Bennett crossed the line after some clever interplay between backs and forwards. Kyle Johnson added the conversions before finishing off the next Cumnock try after sidestepping at least three Braidholm defenders. He converted the score to give Cumnock a solid lead.
Braidholm then had their best spell of the first half when they decided to kick the ball high constantly causing problems for the Cumnock back three on the slippery pitch. They kept this up for a long spell keeping Cumnock on the back foot despite never really looking likely to break the line or score. Cumnock, on the other hand always looked dangerous with the ball in hand and as soon as they recovered the ball from Braidholm and immediately broke up the pitch through Craig Greer who passed to Bennett before the ball was fed back to Greer who touched down with Johnson again adding the conversion. Cumnock were at it again when openside flanker, Alan Smith picked a good line through the defence before feeding Alan Haynes to score. Johnson missed the conversion from out wide to end the half.
The second half started well for Cumnock when Bennett gathered a long kick from Braidholm and set of through the defence to score after a neat exchange of passes with Smith. The reliable Johnson again added the extras. However, the rest of the second half was tight as Braidholm kept the ball tight to prevent Cumnock’s dangerous runners from causing them further strife. Braidholm’s patience eventually earned them a try after several phases sucking the defence giving their winger space to squeeze into the corner.
Cumnock took the chance to try a new style using their forwards to keep the ball tight which worked fairly well but they didn’t ever seem likely to score when doing this. It took until the last ten minutes before they scored again after a quick penalty caught Braidholm napping and the ball was spun wide with Bennett again getting on the end of the move to score with Johnson converting. Bennett finished the game after breaking through the tiring defence to score from well inside his own half. Johnson added the conversion to complete a comfortable win for the young home side to continue their impressive home form. This was a reasonably easy victory for the home side against a stubborn Braidholm side and bodes well for the second half of the league season and hopefully a continuing run in the cup.
Man of the match was Mark Bennett for adding another four tries to his considerable tally this season.

Team: Craig Greer, Paul Miller, Donald Hunter, Kevin Brady, Blair McMillan, Graham Hunter, Alan Smith, David Kerr, Craig McWhirter, Kyle Johnson, Gregor McMillan, Mark Bennett, Alan Haynes, Tony Foster, Conner Nisbet, Jamie Hodge, Scott Houston, Ross Black

Next Week: Cumnock resume league duties away to title challenging Strathendrick

Report by David Kerr

Pitchero link to report and results

Cumnock 2nds beat Dalzell

The 2nds got their rewards today with a well fought victory over Dalziel.

The 2nd XV faced a stern test on Saturday when they welcomed a very strong Dalziel 3rd XV to Broomfield for the latest league match. The visitors have been performing well all season and had only been beaten once, so the Cumnock squad knew that they were in for a hard shift.

Gavin Kerr was making his senior debut, and had brought along some moral and physical support in the shape of his dad, Euan who was hoping to get some game time in the same side as his middle son.
The game itself was a hard fought affair with the home side coming out victorious 21 - 10.

There were tries for Greg Hamilton and Euan Cunningham, with Dougie Elliot converting one try and adding three penalties.

The game was well refereed By Mr Clift from Irvine who allowed the game to flow in difficult underfoot conditions.


Pitchero link to Report and Results

Cumnock senior results

Cumnock 26 – 0 Carrick

Cumnock played host to Carrick in a local derby in the latest league match this weekend.
After a disappointing result last week against Clydebank the young side were determined to make up for this by winning at home.
The game kicked off in wet and windy conditions although this did not deter the home side who won a penalty straight from the kick off when the visitors were caught holding onto the ball on the ground. Uncharacteristically, Kyle Johnson pulled his kick to the left of the posts but Cumnock had shown their intent to take control of the game early on.
This was followed up by a strong spell of Cumnock pressure as they dealt with some loose Carrick kicking, allowing full-back Conner Nisbet to run the ball back at the defence. The breakthrough came when several strong carries from Cumnock’s forwards made a good position in Carrick territory. The ball was fed back to stand-off Johnson who, despite slipping managed to chip the ball over the defence. Wing Tony Foster gathered the ball to score in the corner and Johnson added the tricky conversion.
Cumnock continued to put the visitors under pressure and almost added more points when both Johnson and Mark Bennett narrowly missed penalties. Cumnock’s set pieces have been a problem this season and the line out continued to misfire in this game. However, the scrum was much more impressive with the new front row of Rab Donald, Graham Hunter and Donald Hunter constantly putting their opposite numbers on the back foot. Solid scrum ball allowed Cumnock’s backs to use their pace to take on the defence. One of these moves saw the ball released wide and well timed passing meant that Gregor McMillan had the space to outsprint his opposite number and cross the line for Cumnock’s second try. This time the conversion went awry as the conditions worsened with several players losing their footing on the slippery surface.
The first half ended with Cumnock 12 points to nil up and having never looked under pressure from Carrick. The visitors came back strongly after half time and set up a series of driving mauls deep in Cumnock territory after some cheap penalties from the home side. However, stubborn defence from Cumnock kept the line intact and eventually the visitors grew impatient and attempted an unlikely cross kick which was easily dealt with by the defence.
Cumnock regrouped and came charging back at their guests and immediately turned their pressure into points. Mark Bennett made the initial burst through the Carrick defence before feeding his centre partner Alan Haynes with a well timed pass. Haynes had the pace to outstrip the chasing defence and touched down under the posts to give Johnson an easy conversion.
The home side then spent a long spell deep in Carrick territory but struggled to make much of an impression with several handling errors caused by the poor conditions. There was also a lot of aimless kicking with both teams favouring the hit and hope option, relying on their opponents spilling the ball. Cumnock dealt with this better and it was no surprise when Mark Bennett side stepped through the defence to record his side’s fourth try to wrap up the bonus point. Johnson again added the conversion from in front of the posts.
Cumnock showed excellent composure to play the remainder of the game out on their terms and Carrick were never given a chance to get points on the board. Cumnock came close to adding another try when a well placed Bennett kicked was hacked ahead by substitute wing Greg Hamilton who was unlucky to be beaten to the touchdown by the covering defender. The home side continued to play the game deep in Carrick territory until the end of the match, showing an ability to control games which hasn’t often been seen this season.
This was another important step for the young team with their second successive home win topped off with a bonus point. Especially impressive was the fact that Cumnock kept a clean sheet which is a rare feat in rugby which shows the continuing development in this young team.
Alan Smith was man of the match for getting through a lot of the dirty work in the back row that allows Cumnock’s backs the chance to shine.

Team: Rab Donald, Graham Hunter, Donald Hunter, Kevin Brady, Blair McMillan, Stuart Hunter, Alan Smith, David Kerr, Craig McWhirter, Kyle Johnson, Gregor McMillan, Mark Bennett, Alan Haynes, Tony Foster, Conner Nisbet, Jim Ramage, Jamie Thomson, Greg Hamilton

Next Week: Cumnock travel to Stranraer to take on Wigtonshire

Cumnock 3 Allen glens 12

The second team continued to get closer with its form with a close defeat to Allan Glens who currently top Reserve league West Division 3.

Cumnock senior reports for Saturday 17th October

Clydebank 27 Cumnock 20 1st xv report:-

It was the best of times and then the worst of times for Cumnock this week as they travelled to Clydebank. Cumnock dominated the first half to open a fifteen point lead before throwing it away in the second half.
The game started in beautiful conditions which suited Cumnock’s free running style against Clydebank’s powerful forward based brand of rugby. The game started well as good pressure from the kick off resulted in turnover ball for Cumnock which was fed back to stand-off Kyle Johnson who slotted a drop goal to give Cumnock an early lead.

This early pressure from Cumnock continued as the hosts attempted to steady their ship by driving the ball up the side of rucks. However, these drives were continually halted by Cumnock’s fringe defence led by back row brothers Stuart and Graham Hunter. Eventually, Clydebank attempted to throw the ball wide. The ball was fumbled by the centre and Mark Bennett continued his knack of being in the right place at the right time to gather the ball and run unopposed under the posts for the opening try. Johnson added the extra two points.

Clydebank rallied after this and set up camp deep in Cumnock territory although the stubborn visiting defence refused to let the home side through. However, Cumnock once again showed that they can be their own worst enemy as a series of unnecessary penalties were given away, allowing Clydebank to kick into the corner and regroup their forwards. The defence was impregnable until the departure of Rab Cross after a heavy collision with his opposite number. With this loss of both experience and power, Cumnock’s defence was weakened just enough for Clydebank to squeeze over for a try after a drive from a lineout. The conversion was mis-hit but it gave the hosts a foot hold in the game.

Cumnock refused to sit back and allow the hosts the chance to add to this score as they won a penalty after pressure from the kick off. The long range penalty was kicked by Bennett to further extend his team’s lead. Clydebank managed to secure ball from their kick off after Cumnock struggled to set up a maul from the kick off. The home side once again set up a series of mauls and rucks without spinning the ball wide. However, Cumnock’s defence was once again strong and they won a penalty when Clydebank were over eager to secure the ball and left their feet. Johnson prepared to kick the ball to touch before spotting space in behind the Clydebank defence. The ball went long and into space before being gathered by the Clydebank full back. His clearing kick was loose and gathered by number-eight David Kerr who ran at the defence before offloading to Johnson who released the ball along the line to wing, Tony Foster. Foster took on the defence on the outside and had the pace to score in the corner for a well worked counter attack try. Johnson added the conversion from the touchline before the whistle went for half time with Cumnock leading twenty points to five.

The second half started fairly well for Cumnock with another long range penalty attempt for Bennett which he pushed slightly to the right. After that Cumnock seemed to go to sleep. Either that or they believed the game to be already won. Whatever the problem, Clydebank managed to set up their driving mauls without Cumnock disrupting them and pick the ball up and drive round the side of rucks without Cumnock stopping them straight away. Clydebank have managed to make it to the top end of the table by carrying the ball three or four yards at a time, keeping hold of the ball and eventually they will make it to the try line. In the first half Cumnock were preventing them from doing this but in the second half Clydebank were allowed to walk up the pitch using their experienced and considerably larger forwards to keep the ball from Cumnock. Cumnock also continued to give away several cheap penalties aiding the Clydebank cause.

The home side managed to score four tries in this fashion with Cumnock barely managing to touch the ball in this spell. Only one conversion was added meaning that Cumnock stayed within seven points meaning that they got a bonus point out of the game.

The game ended with Cumnock camped on the Clydebank line for the first time in the half and despite Greg Hamilton and Sean Fulton going close, they were unable to force their way over the line.


This was a massively disappointing game for Cumnock as they had a great chance to beat one of the top teams in the league. It would even be possible to say that Cumnock lost this game more than Clydebank won it. Cumnock showed in the first half they were capable of dealing with the home side’s forward orientated game but they switched off in the second half and paid the price for it. However, it is games like this that Cumnock’s young side will hopefully learn lessons from and move forward.

Man of the match was captain David Kerr for leading by example and putting in a hard working shift in the back row.

Team: Kevin Brady, Paul Miller, Rab Cross, Sean Fulton, Blair McMillan, Stuart Hunter, Graham Hunter, David Kerr, Scott Houston, Kyle Johnson, Gregor McMillan, Mark Bennett, Alan Haynes, Tony Foster, Conner Nisbet, Barry Horton, Alan Smith, Greg Hamilon

Next Week: Cumnock take on Carrick in local derby at Broomfield

Clydebank 26 Cumnock 2nd XV 20

For the 2nd week in a row the 2nd XV had a tale of two halfs where the 2nd half performancce showed grit and determination to fight a stronger team.

Cumnock started with 15 players on the pitch and no subs. Most of the points against Cumnock were scored again in the first half. 2nd half the boys played a briliant game after being have Bobby Horton and Euan Cunningham having to go off from the front row, which left Cumnock with 13 players on the pitch. After this the Cumnock showed some true grit against the more experienced team. This also meant the scrums became uncontested.

Johnny Seng was man of the match for his opportunist try in the first half.

Cumnock 2nd 15 play Allan Glens at Broomfield, Kick off 3pm

Cumnock chatboard link

Pictures from Friends and Former Players day 10 October 2008

A few pictures from the Friends and former players day when we played Strathclyde Police. Lots more pictures are available on facebook(nearly 100) are on our fanpage on facebook. Cheers to Harry for pictures.

Cumnock 42 Strathclyde Police 15

On a the former players and friends sponsor day Cumnock RFC beat Strathclyde Polìce 42-15

Cumnock enjoyed a bonus point victory at home against Strathclyde Police this week. The home side ran in five tries in front of a large crowd including many players from the club’s past.

Cumnock started almost straight from the kick off when the Police gave away a penalty under pressure from Cumnock’s forwards. Kyle Johnson slotted the penalty to give Cumnock the early lead although this was cancelled out when the Police’s full back kicked a penalty of their own after a Cumnock player was caught offside.
Cumnock continued to apply pressure to the Police with strong carrying from Cumnock’s forwards and smart kicking by the half backs resulting in another penalty for Johnson which dropped just short although he then added another just minutes later from a similar position. Undeterred, Cumnock continued to apply pressure to the Police defence while controlling the majority of possession. Another penalty went awry for Cumnock when Mark Bennett narrowly missed a long range effort. However, all the pressure meant that a breakthrough was inevitable and it came when Bennett found space in the midfield to step a couple of defenders and sprint clear to score under the posts giving Johnson an easy conversion.
Just minutes later, Bennett was at it again when he stripped the ball off an opposition player and was left with a simple run in to give Johnson another easy kick and giving Cumnock a seventeen point lead.
Cumnock were unable to capitalise on their momentum as the Police started to come into the game and they controlled possession from a long spell although stubborn home defence kept them at bay. However, they finally scored when a well worked backs move was finished in the corner to record their first try. They missed the conversion meaning that Cumnock went into the second half with twenty points to eight lead.
Cumnock started the second half much as they started the first: with a Kyle Johnson penalty. However they were unable to build much on this as a series of unforced errors and soft penalties given away by Cumnock gave the Police a chance to come back into the game. They used the series of penalties to kick themselves into the corner. Cumnock held out against a persistent Police attack with good defence around the fringes of the rucks. Eventually the referee got fed up with Cumnock’s indiscretions in their attempts to keep the police out and sent Kevin Brady to the sin bin.
Cumnock’s defence gave way eventually with a powerful forward drive from the Police resulting in a try which was converted.
This seemed to wake Cumnock up and they started to play some excellent rugby as the increasingly vociferous crowd drove the home side on. The third try came after a loose kick from the Police gave Gregor McMillan the chance to run at the defence. He beat several defenders before being hauled down in the opposition twenty two. The ball was spun wide and a delicate chip from Tony Foster was gathered by Bennett to score his third. Johnson added an impressive touchline conversion.
Cumnock continued to play some excellent rugby as the Police and solid scrummaging from the props Rab Donald and Craig Greer gave a solid platform off which Cumnock’s backs could attack. The bonus point was secured when Bennett again broke the defence and fired a wide pass to Conner Nisbet who ducked under the final tackle to cross in the corner to record his first senior try.
Cumnock found time for one more when slick line out ball from Blair McMillan gave the backs ample time to run a well rehearsed move giving Bennett a simple run in for his fourth try which was again converted by Johnson.
Cumnock can take a lot out of this game with several outstanding performances. Some of the rugby that was played, especially late on in the second half was wonderful to watch and hopefully this will continue for the rest of the season.
Man of the match was Kyle Johnson for an excellent tactical display and some inspired kicking, both out of hand and off a tee.

Team: Rab Donald, Paul Miller, Craig Greer, Kevin Brady, Blair McMillan, Stuart Hunter, David Kerr, Jamie Thomson, Scott Houston, Kyle Johnson, Gregor McMillan, Mark Bennett, Martin Wilson, Alan Haynes, Conner Nisbet, Graham Hunter, Jim Ramage, Tony Foster

Next week: Cumnock travel to Clydebank in the latest league match

Scottish results and table

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• This Saturday 10th October (cumnockrugby.blogspot.com)

Cumnock 3 hillhead 43

It was a tale of 2 halfs for the 2nd xv against hillhead jordanhill.

The away team were a very strong team and dominated the Cumnock team in first half. After strengthing for 2nd half, Cumnock held away team for 43-3 against cumnock.

Team: horton, watt, linden, cunningham, ferrans, harkin, mcculloch, laidlaw, nairn, wallace, mccrorie, mcwhirter, black, barr, hastings, taylor, johnstone, mcpheator, hamilton, seng.

This Saturday 10th October

Cumnock 1 st XV play Strathclyde Police on
Saturday watched by those attending the Friends and Former Players Sponsors
Day.  Over 70 faces from the past and present will join the usual
supporters to cheer on the young Cumnock side against Strathclyde’s
finest.  Meanwhile the 2nds will play Hillhead Jordanhill also at Cumnock.

 

This promises to be the busiest day at the Club for many a
year and hopefully we will have a couple of wins from the 1sts and 2nds to top
it off.

 

Morton Houston

Cumnock RFC Mini Coordinator

01290 552987

07748827836

Cumnock Senior reports and results for Saturday 3rd October

Cumnock made the short trip to Ayr to face Millbrae in the league. Millbrae are an offshoot from the main Ayr club, mainly made up of former Ayr players who are still looking for a game at the weekend. As a result their side largely consists of older heads, the complete opposite of the Cumnock side, many of whom are playing their first season of senior rugby. This was always going to a test for the young side against the experience and streetwise nature of the opposition.

However, Millbrae scoring almost straight from the kick off was more due to Cumnock errors than anything else. The kick off was fumbled by Cumnock and Millbrae gratefully used the resulting lineout to set up a series of rucks which they drove forwards, a few yards at a time. Despite some sturdy Cumnock defence, they eventually drove over for the score when the defence around the fringes of the ruck was posted missing and Millbrae gratefully drove through the resulting space to score. The conversion was added and Cumnock were left seven points behind with less than seven minutes on the clock.

Cumnock rallied after this but were unable to make any impression against strong defence. Millbrae were also helped in the first half by a strong wind which meant they could keep Cumnock pinned back deep in their own half. Millbrae used this pressure to score their second when powerful ball carrying from their centres fragmented Cumnock’s defence allowing their forwards to drive over for another score which was, again converted.

Cumnock began to claw back some of the initiative when Mark Bennett and David Kerr linked in midfield off a well worked lineout move allowing space for Conner Nisbet and Gregor McMillan to carry the ball into the Millbrae twenty-two. A harsh decision of holding on was given against Cumnock allowing Millbrae to clear the ball. Despite this move resulting in nothing, Cumnock were determined to get something out of this pressure. It looked set to come Bennett broke through the defence off open play and, seeing support on his shoulder, drew the full back and passed to Alan Haynes who, with the line at his mercy, uncharacteristically knocked the ball on.
This seemed to reawaken Millbrae who added a third try before half time when quick hands left their winger with plenty of space to score in the corner. The conversion was missed but it still left Millbrae with a nineteen point lead at half time.

Cumnock began the second half with the wind at their backs and they used it to good effect when Millbrae conceded a penalty which was eased over by Kyle Johnson. The visitors continued to pressure the older team with several good breaks but they were undone by aggressive rucking by Millbrae as well as some increasingly strict refereeing decisions.
The breakthrough came when Martin Wilson ran a good support line off Bennett and found himself in space. Wilson then drew the full back and passed to Haynes, who held on this time and ran in to score his first senior try. The conversion went awry in the tricky wind.
Despite this try, Cumnock never looked likely to reach the mark set by Millbrae in the first half as the home side used their experience to tighten up the game and prevent Cumnock’s dangerous backs from making any more chances. It is to Cumnock’s credit, however, that they never stopped fighting and kept themselves in the hunt to try and get something out of the game.
The next score came from the hosts when their powerful centre ran through some weak Cumnock tackles to score his sides fourth try, earning them a bonus point. The conversion was added to complete the scoring. The game ended with Cumnock applying pressure to Millbrae but they were unable to score again before the end.
Another week with a disappointing result for Cumnock, although it was another performance with positive aspects, especially in the second half when the young side played some attractive rugby and never stopped chasing the game. However, soft scores early in the first half gave Millbrae a head start in the game which made it hard for Cumnock to recover.
Man of the match was David Kerr for a hard working display in the back row.

Team: Kevin Brady, Paul Miller, Craig Greer, Jim Ramage, Blair McMillan, Alan Smith, David Kerr, Jamie Thomson, Scott Houston, Kyle Johnson, Gregor McMillan, Mark Bennett, Alan Haynes, Tony Foster, Conner Nisbet, Barry Horton, Mark Linden, Martin Wilson

Next Saturday, Cumnock take on Strathclyde Police at Broomfield, kick off 3pm

Cumnock took the journey to Glasgow to face Cartha 3rds in 2nd xv league fixture.

After a couple of late call offs Cumnock went up with yet another youthful team (apart from Bobby Horton). Cartha won 31-0 in another hard fought match.

Cumnock face Hillhead Jordanhill next Saturday at Broomfield.

Kick off 3pm.


Scottish rugby results and table

Millbrae 26 Cumnock 8

Full report to follow. Pictures from Thomas Cunningham

Cumnock RFC senior rugby this weekend

Cumnock 1st xv are travelling to Millbrae in an Ayrshire derby.
Meet at club 12:45

Cumnock 2nd xv are travelling to Cartha 3rds. Meet at club 1:00pm.

Good luck to all our lads.

1st XV League fixtures updated

The league fixture list has been redrawn after complaints from some clubs about having 3 away games in a row. Here are the revised fixtures:

SRU results page and table

29th AUG STRATHENDRICK H
5th SEP OBAN LORNE A
12th SEP PAISLEY H
19th SEP LOCH LOMOND A
26th SEP CUMBERNAULD H
3rd OCT MILLBRAE A
10th OCT STRATHCLYDE POL H
17th OCT CLYDEBANK A
24th OCT CARRICK H
31st OCT WIGTOWNSHIRE A
21st NOV STRATHENDRICK A
5th DEC OBAN LORNE H
12th DEC PAISLEY A
19th DEC LOCH LOMOND H
9th JAN CUMBERNAULD A
16th JAN MILLBRAE H
23rd JAN STRATHCLYDE POL A
30th JAN CLYDEBANK H
20th FEB CARRICK A
27th FEB WIGTOWNSHIRE H

Cumnock Chatboard Thread

Cumnock 20 Cumbernauld 31 Match Report

Cumnock faced a tough challenge when they took on Cumbernauld in their latest league fixture this weekend. The visitors finished second in the league season and are determined to improve their placing this year. For Cumnock, this was a chance to test themselves against strong opposition after their encouraging start to this season.
Unfortunately the start to this game was less than encouraging as Cumbernauld exploded out of the blocks with only some last ditch tackling preventing the visitors from crossing the try line. However, Cumbernauld were able to open the scoring with two penalties both coming from Cumnock indiscretions at the breakdown.
Despite having almost all the possession, Cumbernauld struggled to turn their dominance into points with some good wide defence from wings Alan Haynes and Gregor McMillan preventing the visitors. Cumnock almost managed to grab a try when a well placed Kyle Johnson cross kick bounced kindly for Haynes who found himself in the clear only to be called back as the referee judged the ball to have been knocked forward.

The visitors eventually managed to break through when their dangerous left winger broke through the defence and slipped the ball back inside to a supporting runner who was left with a clear run to the try line. The conversion went awry but Cumbernauld had finally made the breakthrough and with Cumnock still struggling to gain a foothold in the game as Cumbernauld’s experienced forwards made it difficult to gain any good ball. Cumbernauld quickly scored again when some good quick play moved Cumnock from side to side leaving the defensive line dangerously stretched leaving some simple hands from Cumbernauld to cross again. This time the conversion was scored and Cumbernauld were starting to sense that they could run away with this game.

However, they didn’t reckon on the fighting spirit that Cumnock have picked up this season and finally with ten minutes remaining in the half, the home side started to play some good rugby. The forwards managed to secure some good ball allowing half backs Scott Houston and Kyle Johnson to kick them into good positions and putting the visitors under pressure. Cumnock opened their account after a smart kick from Johnson and a fine chase from centres Mark Bennett and Martin Wilson resulted in a drop from the full back with Bennett gathering the loose ball and scoring under the posts. Johnson eased over the conversion. It only took a few more minutes before Bennett crossed the line again after a powerful hand-off on his opposite number took him through the defensive line. An outrageous side-step took him past the full back before he out paced the covering defence to score a characteristic solo try. Johnson again added the extras and at half time Cumnock found themselves firmly in the hunt, only four points behind despite spending much of the half under pressure.

The second half was a close fought affair with Cumbernauld continuing to dominate possession but finding it harder than the first half to break through the much more stubborn Cumnock defence. However, the powerful Cumbernauld forwards continued to cause their counterparts problems which meant that the Cumnock backs were forced to live off scraps. Cumbernauld added the first points of the half with a penalty to extend their advantage. It took until the last fifteen minutes until any further break through could be made when Cumbernauld finally managed to get the ball to their threatening winger who had been largely nullified in the second half thanks to good midfield defence from Cumnock preventing the ball from reaching him. However, the ball finally made its way out to the wing and he charged through some despairing Cumnock tackles to score in the corner.

Cumnock showed their determination again by coming back strongly, winning two penalties in quick succession which were both converted by the reliable Johnson. However, Cumbernauld had the last say when after a series of driving mauls on the Cumnock line which were repeatedly held up, their number 8 crashed over from a few yards out to complete the scoring and earn his side a bonus point for their four tries.

Despite a disappointing result, Cumnock showed a strong battling spirit, refusing to allow their much more experienced opponents the chance to dominate the match in the way they expected to.
Man of the match was Scott Houston for a good display at scrum half despite spending much of the game under pressure. Special mention also goes to Jim Ramage who stepped into the second row and used his considerable experience to give a reliable presence at set pieces and around the field.

Team: Kevin Brady, Paul Miller, Donald Hunter, Jim Ramage, Blair McMillan, Stuart Hunter, Alan Smith, David Kerr, Scott Houston, Kyle Johnson, Gregor McMillan, Mark Bennett, Martin Wilson, Alan Haynes, Conner Nisbet, Graham Hunter, Euan Cunningham, Craig McWhirter

Next week: Cumnock make a short trip to Ayr to take on Millbrae

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Cumnock 20 Cumbernauld 31

Cumnock 1st xv seniors lost 20 points to 31 today against Cumbernauld in West Division. Match Report to follow:

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Scottishrugby results and fixtures link

Players - Saturday 26th September

Both sides are at broomfield on Saturday with the 1st XV hosting Cumbernauld and the 2nd XV meeting Paisley. Both games kick off at 3pm. Meet times are as follows:

1st XV meet 1.30pm

2nd XV meet 2pm

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Loch Lomond 26 – 23 Cumnock

Cumnock narrowly missed out against Loch Lomond despite spending much of the game on the back foot. The team made the trip to Bonhill on a high after last weeks comprehensive defeat of Paisley and hoped to build on this against a Lomond side that had had a similar start to the season as Cumnock.

However it was evident from the kick off that Loch Lomond were equally determined and showed their strength straight from the kick off by winning a penalty which was converted to give them an early three point lead.

Lomond continued to pressure Cumnock and were narrowly prevented from adding a try thanks to a last gasp tackle from Tony Foster. However, against the run of play it was Cumnock who grabbed the first try of the game when a hopeful Cumnock kick ahead was dropped by the Lomond full back and a grateful Mark Bennett picked up the loose ball to score under the posts. Kyle Johnson added the conversion and Cumnock unexpectedly had a lead in the game.

It was not to last though when Lomond’s outside centre burst through some flimsy Cumnock tackles to score giving them the lead again. Loch Lomond continued to dominate possession as their experienced forwards used every opportunity to slow ball down preventing Cumnock from playing their preferred style of free flowing rugby. Despite this some desperate defence meant that Lomond only managed to add a penalty to their tally which was cancelled out by a brace from Johnson meaning that at half time the scores were level at thirteen apiece.

The second half began much as the first had gone with Lomond dominating possession although it is credit to the young Cumnock side that the defence, despite several wobbly moments, held firm with several good tackles from wide men Martin Wilson and Gregor McMillan keeping Lomond out. Also impressive was Matt McCullough making his debut for the 1st XV and putting in hard shift, putting his body on the line to tidy up loose ball. Lomond added another penalty before the unflappable Johnson pegged back the advantage with another penalty of his own.

Cumnock almost picked up another try of their own when Johnson spotted Alan Haynes in space on his wing and cross-kicked to him. The ball evaded Haynes by inches, denying Cumnock from scoring a spectacular try.

On the whole though Lomond continued to exert pressure on Cumnock and spent a long spell camped on the Nock try line. They eventually broke through for the try when, after several attempts, they managed to push a maul over. They added the conversion and then a penalty to pull themselves ten points clear with only five minutes remaining. However, Cumnock’s fighting spirit showed itself again when Bennett scored his second after chipping the ball ahead and then stripping the ball off the full back. Johnson added the extras but time was against Cumnock and they were unable to make any more inroads into Lomond’s lead.

Overall this was a disappointing game for Cumnock as they allowed themselves to be bullied by the larger and more experienced Lomond side. However, they could take some solace from a bonus point for finishing within seven points of the winners. It was encouraging to see that Cumnock have become a hard team to beat because, by rights, with the possession that they had Lomond could have won this game a lot more comfortably than they did.

Man of the match was Kyle Johnson for an impressive display of defence against considerably larger opposition as well as for his imperious kicking which kept Cumnock in the hunt.

Team: Craig Greer, Paul Miller, Donald Hunter, Kevin Brady, Euan Cunningham, Alan Smith, David Kerr, Jamie Thomson, Scott Houston, Kyle Johnson, Gregor McMillan, Mark Bennett, Martin Wilson, Tony Foster, Conner Nisbet, Graham Hunter, Matt McCullough, Alan Haynes


Next Saturday the 1st XV return to Broomfield to take on Cumbernauld

Thanks to David Kerr for Report

West Division 1 Scottish rugby website results and table

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Cumnock 41 Paisley 0

Cumnock picked up their first win of the season with an emphatic victory over Paisley at Broomfield. After narrowly losing their opening two matches, the side were determined to claim their first scalp against a Paisley side that had also lost their opening fixtures.

The game started positively for Cumnock with several powerful line breaks from both Cumnock backs and forwards and it was apparent that it was a case of when the first score would come rather than if it would.
The break came when Paisley were penalised for killing the ball after a break from the back of the scrum by Number 8 David Kerr (captain). Scott Houston took an offload and continued the forward movement before Paisley’s indiscipline. Cumnock took the penalty quickly with both Donald Hunter and Craig Greer committing defenders before unselfishly feeding Mark Bennett who crashed through the remaining defence to score. Kyle Johnson kicked the conversion.

Ferocious defence from Cumnock kept Paisley on the back foot with several crunching tackles from Stuart Hunter and Alan Smith meant that Paisley were unable to make any impression on the game. Another positive was the much improved line-out with Paul Miller regularly hitting his target, giving Cumnock’s backs free rein to run at their opposite numbers. Paisley had a player sin binned for a high tackle on Johnson who used the penalty to kick Cumnock deep into Paisley territory. Another smooth line-out meant that the backs had plenty of time to run a well rehearsed move to give Bennett a clear run to the line for his second try.
Johnson added the conversion and then a penalty when another Paisley high tackle meant another Paisley yellow card.

Cumnock made use of these indiscretions to run in a spectacular long range try with centres Bennett and Haynes slicing through the defence before feeding Stuart Hunter who drew the last defender and passed to Johnson who finished the move in the corner. He then stepped up calmly to knock over the kick from the touch line which trouble many international goal kickers.

The second half began with points from the reliable boot of Johnson when excellent pressure from Cumnock’s forwards resulted in a penalty. Paisley then made the mistake of kicking off straight to Bennett who showed the individual skill that has earned him a place in the Scotland Under 18 training squad by simply running straight through the Paisley defence to score his third. Johnson easily kicked the extras.

Paisley finally started to come into the game by slowing the game down and turning the game into a dull mix of scrums and rucks in order to prevent Cumnock’s backs from continuing to run riot. Disappointingly Cumnock picked a yellow card of their own when Rab Cross was sin binned, marring an otherwise impressive return to first team rugby.

Cumnock managed another try when Bennett made another trademark solo run to score his fourth try. Johnson reliably added the extras.
The rest of the game was spent mostly tight as Paisley set about making sure that Cumnock were unable to extend their lead. However, they never looked like scoring which meant that Cumnock were able to hold onto an impressive clean sheet.

Cumnock nearly added a sixth try after an excellent move with Gregor McMillan breaking down his wing before feeding Jamie Thomson who carried the ball forward before spreading the ball wide to the opposite wing where Tony Foster squeezed into the corner to score before being called back by the Paisley touch judge for having been in touch. Cumnock continued to pressure the Paisley line until the final whistle although they were unable to force their way over.

There several outstanding performances but the man of the match had to go to Mark Bennett for his four tries and for looking dangerous every time got the ball in his hands.
This was another very positive day for the young Cumnock team and if they continue to play the kind of free flowing rugby that they played in the first half especially then it will be hard for any team in the league to deal with them.

Team
Craig Greer, Paul Miller, Donald Hunter, Kevin Brady, Rab Cross, Stuart Hunter, Alan Smith, David Kerr, Scott Houston, Kyle Johnson, Gregor McMillan, Mark Bennett, Alan Haynes, Tony Foster, Conner Nisbet, Graham Hunter, Jamie Thomson, Martin Wilson

Next week Cumnock are away to Loch Lomond

Thanks to David Kerr for report
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Oban 12 Cumnock 8 Senior rugby report 05/09/09

Cumnock travelled to Oban for their first away fixture of this season. Last season this fixture resulted in a massive win for the experienced Oban side who have gained a reputation for strong and direct forward play. However, Cumnock’s young guns were encouraged by their competitive start against Strathendrick last week and were determined to build on this to record their first win.

Cumnock started brightly with some intelligent kicking pinning the home side back in their own half. Smart line out work made space for stand-off Kyle Johnson to kick across the field for winger Gregor McMillan who gathered the ball and shrugged off Oban’s despairing defenders to score in the corner. Johnson missed the conversion from the touchline.

This try seemed to wake Oban up with powerful runs from the large back rowers although their Cumnock opposites, Alan Smith and Stuart Hunter managed to cope with the increasing pressure. However, Cumnock caused themselves problems by giving away some soft penalties which made it impossible for them to clear their lines with a well organised Oban maul resulting in the equalising try.

The next spell of the game saw Cumnock putting pressure on their hosts with some good work from centres Mark Bennett and Alan Haynes causing their opponents problems, though they couldn’t break down the stubborn defence enough for a real scoring chance. Another positive for Cumnock was their much improved lineout with Paul Millar and Blair McMillan working in tandem to supply plenty of good ball for the young backs.

The second half started well for Cumnock with the referee finally spotting one of the many blatant attempts by Oban to kill the ball, giving the away team a chance to regain the lead. A composed Johnson slotted the kick despite the increasingly strong wind.

Like the first time Cumnock scored, this just seemed to spur the home side on and once again their forwards took control of the game as conditions started to favour them with the rain slowing the pitch and making handling difficult for the more adventurous Cumnock side. The home side benefited from the referee giving them the greater benefit of his doubt. Sustained pressure eventually led to Oban crashing over despite many heroic tackles from the smaller defence.

Cumnock rallied and a series of scrums deep in Oban territory led to Tony Foster and Scott Houston going close. However, robust defence as well as some impatience from Cumnock meant that Oban managed to hold on and clear their lines. Oban put their experience and size to good use as they kept the ball tight and played the clock down. The game ended in controversy as the referee finally blew for full time on a Cumnock penalty although, in truth, it would have been remarkable if anything had come of it as the penalty was awarded on the Cumnock try line, at completely the wrong end of the field.

Despite being on the wrong end of a narrow score line for the second successive week, the young Cumnock side could take a lot from this attritional game against a team who had expected a comfortable victory. Cumnock picked up a bonus point for finishing within seven points of the winners which was some consolation.
Man of the match was Blair McMillan for a hard working performance as well as an impressive lineout display

Team
Craig Greer, Paul Millar, Donald Hunter, Kevin Brady, Blair McMillan, Stuart Hunter, Alan Smith, David Kerr, Scott Houston, Kyle Johnson, Gregor McMillan, Mark Bennett, Alan Haynes, Tony Foster, Conner Nisbet, Graham Hunter, Craig McWhirter, John Ferrans

Next week, Cumnock take on Paisley at Broomfield, kick-off 3pm

Thanks to David Kerr for report.

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Oban Lorne vrs Cumnock league fixture 5 September

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Hello players and family. I hope you have all enjoyed the pre-season.

Are you planning to travel to Oban Lorne RFC on Saturday 5th September (only a week away). Cumnock RFC are running a bus there.

So if you like to follow our youthful senior team on this our first away league game, please contact Alex Dunsmuir or any member of the coaches/committee.

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