FIFE LIONS 22-42 AYRSHIRE STORM
Ayrshire Storm qualified for the Grand Final in considerable style with an impressive display at Harley Street.
The Storm will now battle Edinburgh Eagles at Scotstoun next Saturday for the title of Scottish rugby league champions, and while the Eagles will start as hot favourites to notch their eighth title in twelve Grand Final appearances, if the Storm can produce a similar performance they will have nothing to fear from their more illustrious opponents. For the Lions, on the other hand, it is back to the drawing board as their wait for their first Grand Final appearance since 2008 extends for another year.
The early signs were not promising for the visitors as the home side dominated possession and it was no surprise when they took the lead after 12 minutes, second row Colin Stewart eluding the defence on a penalty set to touch down under the posts. Thomas Murray added the conversion and the Lions led 6-0.
Shortly afterwards, however, came the first hint that it was to be the Storm's day. Paul Johnston sent the kick-off deep into the Lions half and the receiving player was deemed to have knocked on even though the ball went backwards out of his grasp. From the resulting set Nathan Murray was ruled to have scored in the right corner despite suspicions he had been tackled into touch. With no touch judge on hand to adjudicate, the referee was left with no alternative but to give the attacking side the benefit of the doubt. Johnston missed the difficult touchline conversion but the Storm were back in the game at 6-4.
The score appeared to open the game up and both sides had their moments before the Lions extended their lead on 25 minutes. Raymond Festorazzi was penalised for "afters" at a tackle situation and from the resulting set piece Niall Campbell went over in the right corner for the first try of what would ultimately be a hat-trick. Thomas Murray's conversion made it 12-4.
Within six minutes though the visitors were in the lead. The Lions were penalised on the set after the kick-off and after a patient spell of pressure Johnston burrowed over in the right corner for a try which he converted himself. The home side then shot themselves in the foot by sending the kick-off into touch on the full. The resulting set ended with Martin Sneddon crossing next to the posts. Again Johnston added the conversion, taking the score to 16-12 in the Storm's favour.
After this, a combination of indiscipline from the home side and good defence from the visitors ensured that there was no way back for the Lions before the break. Indeed, Nathan Murray thought he had extended the Storm's lead in first-half injury time with a try in the corner but the referee had spotted an injury to the home side's Andrew Brown in the build-up and blew for half time instead.
The Storm had a dream start to the second half when Gordon Powrie raced clear to notch their fourth try of the afternoon, Johnston goaling the conversion for a 22-12 lead.
They then presented the home side with a glorious chance to get back into the game, when in quick succession John Muir deflected the kick-off into touch deep in their half, and they were penalised for offside on the resulting set. But they produced an excellent defensive set to survive all six tackles and regain possession.
The Storm defence were to the fore again shortly afterwards when they had to withstand another set of tackles after once again being penalised. This proved crucial as Brian Hendry powered up the touchline to score in the left corner on 51 minutes. Johnston again missed a difficult touchline conversion.
The home side tried to respond and were unlucky when Stuart Tracey got a cruel bounce while attempting to gather a chip into the in-goal and the touchdown just eluded the diving Lions player. They paid for missing this chance minutes later when Hendry ran in behind the posts for his second try of the afternoon to give Johnston a straightforward conversion for 32-12.
Both sides were down to twelve men on 59 minutes when a melée between Powrie and home interchange Colin Wilson resulted in both players being sent to the sin-bin. Wilson in particular could have no complaints after being involved in a similar confrontation with Brian Hendry ten minutes earlier. The Lions were the beneficiaries of the original penalty and finally claimed the try they had been threatening when Niall Campbell scored his second of the afternoon from the resulting set. Thomas Murray was wide with the conversion, but the visitors' lead had been cut to a not yet unassailable 32-16 with twenty minutes to go.
The home side tried to exert more pressure on the visitors in a bid to get back in the game, but were unable to capitalise and on 67 minutes Nathan Murray made the game virtually safe when he raced clear to dot down under the posts, Johnston adding the extras. And after two further tries had gone begging after Tracey beat the would-be scorer to the touchdown on both occasions, Alastair Maxwell put the icing on the cake on 79 minutes with an unconverted try in the left corner to make it 42-16.
The Lions had the last word in injury time when Campbell completed his hat-trick and Thomas Murray converted, but the day ultimately belonged to the visitors.
Ayrshire take on Edinburgh Eagles in the Scotland Rugby League Premier Grand Final on Saturday 6th August at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow - 5:15pm kick off
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FIFE LIONS - J Campbell; N Campbell, S Cessford, K Dalglish, S Doidge;
T Murray, G Queen; J Smith, A Brown, C Stewart, G Wallace, R Thomson, R Bryce. Interchanges: K Perrow, C Wilson.
AYRSHIRE STORM - G Powrie; N Murray, A Maxwell, J Muir, S Tracey;
D Crangle, P Johnston; B Hendry, J Marshall, N Savage, R Festorazzi, S Rodgers,
R Filander. Interchanges: M Sneddon, S Christie.
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