Lomond For-Lorne after defeat
Published 14 Sep 2010 09:30
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Oban Lorne...............................24
Loch Lomond RFC...................10
LOCH Lomond’s league campaign kicked off on Saturday with a difficult away trip to Oban and although the home side won comfortably in the end, Lomond’s performance should give them grounds for optimism in the long campaign to come.
Lomond seized the early initiative by following up their own kick-off with gusto and their forwards barged and bashed their way to within inches of the home line.
But disaster struck when after possession was lost, Oban were able to break quickly - their livewire scrum half streaking away for the game’s opening try.
With the injection of confidence from that first score still coursing through their collective veins, Oban were able to batter a stunned Lomond back into their own half immediately from the restart but there was still a degree of fortune about their second score.
A hopeful punt bounced kindly for the on-rushing chasers and they needed no second invitation to execute a swift overlap and leave Lomond looking down and out after just 10 minutes.
The visitors needed to find inspiration from somewhere and typically it came from their pugnacious back-row forwards. Drew McGinty, Manus Flynn and Jamie Thomson worked tirelessly for the cause all afternoon and their furious efforts contributed in no small part to Lomond’s best spell of the match as a two-try blitz brought them back into the match.
Along with forward steel Lomond also had a deal of silk in their backline and Nicholson grabbed their first try with a great angled run through the defence after the forwards earned the hard yards.
The conversion drifted wide but the crowd had hardly had time to draw breath before Lomond scored again.
This time Andrew Flynn and Gregor Mathieson gave a textbook example of how to draw their markers and create space before Stephen Cowie rewarded their enterprise with a sparkling finish.
The conversion, again, went wide but with the score at just 12-10 and half-time approaching Lomond seemed to have dragged themselves off the canvas and back into the match.
Unfortunately they were about to be hit with a sucker punch and just seconds later a slick Oban back-row move created enough space for their lock-forward to smash his way to the line and give them some welcome breathing space. Oban scored another breakaway try. But to their credit Lomond rolled up their sleeves and threw the kitchen sink at their hosts but the hosts grabbed the game’s final try.
Loch Lomond’s cup fixture away to Millbrae two weeks ago ended in a 56-26 defeat. Despite the score-line it was another encouraging performance from a young and developing side.
This article appeared in Dumbarton & Vale of Leven Reporter 14 Sep 10
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