Callum Kerr @ Millbrae
A win at Millbrae, a Pete McCallum try and Stuart Fenwick almost cracking a smile – Just like old times, eh? This afternoon Ayr triumphed 20-15 in a close tussle with visitors Dundee in front of a delighted home crowd.
A lot has been said about the youthful nature of this side, but today it was cool heads and composure under pressure which sealed victory for Ayr – the sign of a maturing squad
Dundee opened the scoring from relative obscurity after eleven minutes. From their first crack in Ayr’s 22, a crafty line-out play released their number eight up the blindside to touchdown unchallenged. The conversion slid off to the left of the posts.
Ayr retaliated in ideal fashion. A line-out drive on Dundee’s five didn’t bring any spoils, but a yellow card to their front row and scrum allowed them to muster another attack. It was here club stalwart Peter McCallum – on his return to Millbrae after a three-year hiatus – powered over from the back of a ruck to mark the occasion with a score!
A Jamie Bova conversion was soon followed by another three from the tee to conclude scoring for the first interval.
Half-Time: Ayr Rugby 10-5 Dundee Rugby
The second half started with another score for the hosts. Deep in the Dundee 22 Zac Howard caught the ball in midfield and spotted his parallel winger, Jamie Bova, open on the touch line. Howard skimmed a flat pass over several players to find Bova in full flight to stride over.
The score didn’t faze Dundee, who began to flex some muscle and gain an advantage at scrum time. After a long period of pressure hooker Tom Hall wormed his way over. A subsequent conversion made it a three-point ball game.
Ayr managed to find a cushion shortly after. Well-worked hands found Fraser Thomson out wide to score his first senior try seconds after entering from the bench. The conversion didn’t connect making the lead eight with ten minutes left to burn.
Dundee fought tooth and nail till the bitter end, but the reward of a penalty kick in the last play of the match wasn’t enough to change their fate. The strike split the uprights to narrow the gap but also ignited the final whistle.
Full-Time: Ayr Rugby 20-15 Dundee Rugby.
The watching press rather poetically named Peter McCallum man of the match after a familiar eighty-minute performance for the former club and Bulls captain.